The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to join the party atop the Eastern Conference after the blockbuster trade they pulled off last week. They were a surprise entrant into the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes and came away as the victors, landing the three-time NBA All-Star.
Koby Altman played his cards perfectly as he took full advantage of the animosity that developed between the Utah Jazz and New York Knicks. For weeks it was reported that the Knicks were the favorites for Mitchell, but Danny Ainge kept asking for more in proposals and the Cavaliers were willing to meet that price.
Cleveland ended up parting ways with Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and Ochai Agbaji as the player package. What Ainge was most focused on was the draft compensation, and he received what he was looking for from the Cavaliers, who traded three unprotected picks to Utah in 2025, 2027, and 2029 along with two pick swaps in 2024 and 2026.
Given the position that the franchise is in, it made sense for Altman to make a splash like this. The roster is loaded with young talent as Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen were both All-Stars last season. Evan Mobley was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award and is a budding two-way start.
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Best of all, all three of them are young, as Allen is 24, Garland is 22 and Mobley is 21. Add the soon-to-be 26-year-old Mitchell to that core and Cleveland has the foundation of a team that can compete for years to come. There are high hopes for Isaac Okoro still as well despite some of his early career struggles.
They did a good job bringing in experienced veterans around them, bringing back Ricky Rubio while signing Raul Neto and Robin Lopez. When combined with Kevin Love, this roster is certainly deep and talented.
However, there is one player that is getting lost in the shuffle; Caris LeVert. LeVert was their big addition ahead of the trade deadline, acquired from the Indiana Pacers for a first-round pick and Rubio.
He was penciled into the starting lineup as their starting shoot guard, expected to play 30+ minutes per night as a secondary scorer and playmaker alongside Garland. That role will now be filled by Mitchell and LeVert’s role will have to be adjusted.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Caris LeVert & Cleveland Cavaliers Updates
There is a chance that LeVert will be the team’s starting small forward, being asked to play more of a 3-and-D role on the wing. Or, LeVert can be deployed as the team’s super sixth man, filling several roles with his versatile skill set.
Another thing that complicates the decision of what to do with LeVert is that he is an impending free agent. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023, and unless he is willing to take a team-friendly deal, an extension seems unlikely between the two sides.
Not sure what his role will be for the upcoming season, let alone in the future, it would make sense for the Cavaliers to consider trading LeVert. They could use another wing for insurance in case Okoro isn’t ready for that kind of role and LeVert can be used to help build a trade package.
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A team that isn’t as close to contending as the Cavaliers are, such as the Sacramento Kings, could have interest in flipping Harrison Barnes for LeVert. Barnes is a steady veteran that has championship experience and can fill that 3-and-D role.
It would be risky, but Gordon Hayward of the Charlotte Hornets could also be an upgrade on the wing for Cleveland. Josh Hart of the Portland Trail Blazers could be another option after they acquired Jerami Grant from the Detroit Pistons and signed Gary Payton II in free agency.
