The Cavs are looking to make a trade at the small forward position, prioritizing (IMO, in this order): shooting, perimeter defense, and size. Most of the trade rumors involve Caris LeVert’s expiring contract being used to acquire a player signed past this season. In this post, I’ll explain the one (realistic) trade I would love and why I think shipping off LeVert may not be as helpful as many believe.
Many names available or linked to the Cavs aren’t great fits or major upgrades. The Cavs have no first-round picks to trade so the best options likely aren’t plausible. [Bojan Bogdanovic](https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/270036/Lakers-Pelicans-Bucks-Cavs-Mavs-Interested-In-Bojan-Bogdanovic) would be great, but he’s 33 years old & the Cavs are just beginning their potential contention window. Plus, other teams will likely offer more than the Cavs are able to. [Malik Beasley](https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/270027/Cavs-Considering-Three-Team-Trade-To-Land-Malik-Beasley) & [Tim Hardaway](https://cavaliersnation.com/2023/01/08/report-cavs-highly-interested-in-tim-hardaway-jr-who-they-believe-is-available/) are much more attainable & provide the shooting the Cavs are looking for, but little else. [Doug McDermott & Josh Richardson](https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/spurs-open-to-trading-jakob-poeltl-josh-richardson-doug-mcdermott) could be very useful if their skills were combined into one player but unfortunately that’s not possible. Evan Fournier & Duncan Robinson have bloated contracts & aren’t the players they used to be. Jerami Grant would be fantastic but he’s not likely to be available & even if he was, the Cavs don’t have the assets. Luke Kennard is likely staying put. Eric Gordon is 34 & only 6’3″.
The one player somewhat likely to be available that I think would be PERFECT for the Cavs is Kyle Kuzma. There are many complications that make it unlikely: The Wizards aren’t a guarantee to sell and other teams have more to offer. He would be very sought-after if available. Kuzma has a player option for next season that he’s sure to decline, and he probably wants to test the market this offseason & get a big contract. But maybe the allure of being the missing piece for this Cavs team & competing for a title would get him to accept an extension from the Cavs that’s somewhere in the ballpark of what he’s looking for as a free agent?Kuzma fits everything the Cavs need. He’s a solid shooter, a big wing, a good defender, a great locker-room guy, 27 years old, and he’s had experience playing a role on a Championship team. The Cavs could work a 3-way deal in which they trade some combination of LeVert & Windler’s expiring contracts, Wade, Okoro, and second-round picks. They’d likely have to take on a bad salary from a 3rd team & the money situation would be complicated. The Wizards or 3rd team would have to have a high opinion of LeVert, Wade, and/or Okoro. Losing Wade or Okoro would be sad as a Cavs fan, but I’d do it for Kuzma. Other contenders have first-round picks to trade, so as stated above, it’s very doubtful the Cavs could make a Kuzma (or Bogdanovic or Grant) trade happen. But dreaming on it is fun!
As for the other options discussed above: It seems that the prevailing opinion on this sub is that shipping LeVert off for any shooter would be a huge upgrade. It’s absolutely true that the Cavs need a true 3&D wing more than what LeVert provides, but I don’t think it would be a difference-making move to move him for a player of Beasley or Hardaway’s caliber. Dean Wade will be returning (soon?) & I believe he is just as good as either potential acquisition. Beasley is too small to start at SF, not considered a good defender, and his 3-point % has fallen over the last 3 seasons from 40% to 38% to 36%. Hardaway Jr is also small for SF, not considered a good defender & his 3-point % has fallen from 39.4% in 19-20 & 20-21 to 35% this season & last.
\*I am going to defend Caris LeVert. Please prepare yourself\*
I think this sub is too hard on LeVert. It’s true that last season & early this season he struggled to find his role and wasn’t the impact player the Cavs hoped they were trading for. But last season he got hurt early in his Cavs tenure & this season Donovan Mitchell’s acquisition caused LeVert to play a different role than he has before in his career. I think because we all love so many guys on this Cavs team, LeVert is an easy target when the Cavs lose. OF COURSE it would be great if LeVert was a better defender and shooter. But I also think his mistakes get magnified in a way that doesn’t happen for other players.
I think LeVert has worked really hard to change the way he plays and try to be the player the Cavs need him to be. He’s not a lockdown defender, but he consistently puts in effort and has improved greatly. Damian Lillard was roasting the Cavs a few nights ago, but when the Cavs dominated in the last 5 mins & Lillard was mostly shut down, it was LeVert that JB Bickerstaff had guarding him. He’s also active after the shot goes up, jumping to tip rebounds to his teammates or box out. The end of the Jazz game was a disaster but I think we all agree that it says more about the way the NBA is officiated now than any mistakes LeVert made (that flagrant was ridiculous). He’s never going to be elite, but LeVert has locked in and overall become an above-average defender for the Cavs IMO.
LeVert is averaging 14/4/3 on 46/34/67 percentages over his last 20 games (yes, it’s an arbitrary time period). But to me, he’s found his role and is able to contribute as a jack-of-all-trades. He can score, pass, rebound and defend. [The Cavs core-four + LeVert has outscored opponents by 8.5 points per 100 possessions in 160 minutes this season.](https://www.nba.com/stats/lineups/advanced?CF=MIN*GE*50&dir=D&sort=NET_RATING) [With Isaac Okoro it’s -9.2 in 118 minutes & with Lamar Stevens it’s -2.9 in 153 minutes.](https://www.nba.com/stats/lineups/advanced?CF=MIN*GE*50&dir=D&sort=NET_RATING) Maybe this says more about Okoro & Stevens (Ice has made progress lately and I’m a Stevens stan!), but it’s a fact that the Cavs core-four with LeVert has been good this season.
It would be great if Caris LeVert was a knockdown 3-point shooter or elite defender, but he’s become a solid piece for the Cavs. As we all know, the Cavs are very short on draft capital, having already dealt all available 1st-round picks. Second-round picks & LeVert’s expiring contract aren’t getting the Cavs a clear upgrade IMO.
One thing that’s important to consider is that LeVert’s contract expires this offseason, unlike many of the potential trade options. If the Cavs don’t trade LeVert & or re-sign him, it doesn’t give cap space. They’ll lose that salary slot because of how the NBA salary cap works. So the Cavs should definitely trade LeVert if they don’t plan to sign him to an extension this offseason. But, I think the Cavs may be able to keep him for about the same money that Beasley & Hardaway would make & I think that option should be strongly considered. He would still have trade value in the future on that type of contract. I’m not going to be angry if the Cavs trade LeVert for Hardway, Beasley, or a similar player. They need shooting. I’m just not assuming it’ll be an upgrade because I think LeVert is better for the Cavs than most of us give him credit for. But if the Cavs can somehow trade for & extend Kyle Kuzma or get another impact SF? I’d do just about anything that doesn’t involve the core-four.
I didn’t plan on this being so massive when I started typing but thanks for reading if you got through it all. Go Cavs 🙂
TL;DR: I’m dreaming on a Kyle Kuzma or other impact trade, but the Cavs likely won’t be able to make it happen. The names that will be attainable have major flaws & I’m not sold on a lot of them. Though he still isn’t a perfect fit, Caris LeVert gets more hate & less credit than he deserves.
by ABaker4646
8 Comments
I don’t know how realistic a Kuzma acquisition is, but wanted to echo your comment on LeVert. He’s been a better all around player than Beasley each of the last 3 years and has actually been playable on defense this season. I don’t see that swap in particular as a win.
It would be great to simply get Dylan Windler back healthy. What a great fit he would be with this squad. Have there been any updates on his return?
I agree whole heartedly. I don’t know if Kuz is available and while he’s an upgrade, he’s said thing shitting on CLE in the past and I doubt we can beat other teams assets with no 1sts.
The fact is, IMO, that there is no marginal upgrade to LeVert on the market that we’re able to get. LeVert knows the system, his role, plays defense and seems well liked in the locker room, why fuck that up? If we can get Annunoby or someone who is actually better than LeVert, I’m all ears, but I just don’t see anyone who is that much better.
I do think his best role is as a 6th man and if we can get Okoro to improve more and be the 3&D wing we need, that would be huge, so I hope we keep starting Ice, but LeVert is the best option we have, and if he doesn’t work, let him walk and use his cap to sign a shooter this off-season.
All those players you mentioned we don’t have the assets to get(not even as part of a three team trade) or don’t help us where we need it most…a small forward with size that can shoot and play defense.
The only players that will fit our needs and we may have assets to get is Jalen McDaniels from Charlotte. Charlotte I could see moving him. They have Oubre and Heyward at the position and I could see them maybe wanting Levert to pair with Lamelo. His brother Jaden McDaniels would be better but I can’t see Minnesota letting him go.
This is really the only answer I see possible that will fill the need and hopefully Altman can make that happen. Him and a backup big that can play pick and roll defense is the wish list.
Kuzma is for sure the dream but yeah I wouldn’t sell the farm to get him
First off great write up
I think it comes down to like you said what they are planning to do with LeVert. Garlands contract slots into Love’s expiring and my hope is that Love signs at a Rubio type deal, but I can see him getting 12-15M if he wants.
You Have Cedi NON Guarantee’d of 7M but still bringing Love back only leaves us about 13M or so if we let Levert walk to try and make a move this off season.
So they really have to make a decision now I think.
You could kick the can another year which is what i think the Beasley move would be which is fine. But if that is the move I’d be looking at Alec Burks and here is how I would go about it which everyone is going to hate.
If Miami is willing to give a 1st to get off of D.Robinson contract you do it and send the 1st and 2 of our second round picks plus Levert Windler for Burks 10M and Bey
I don’t think D.Rob defensive woahs are as big a problem here with Mobley Allen and I really just feel like he would thrive here w this bunch of guys as I believe his only problem is the mental struggle of letting everyone down.
that gives you a replacement for Levert better suited for this team at sg in Burks. A Lethal Shooting SF in D.Rob and an up and coming SF of the future in Bey who I think is built like a tank and JB will get him into Defensive Shape.
to be fair though I’ll think about all of this and just go and watch Mitchell passes to [The Drip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxqYlJGOGjU) for wide open 3’s from the beginning of the season to remind myself that we are probably OK and everything is looking great as is.
I wouldn’t mind a trade for Richardson and Zach Collins from the Spurs. Gives us a 7 footer off the bench that way. With Okoro seeming to come into his own (at least for the past few games), and Wade coming back *eventually*, I wouldn’t mind giving up the ball handling/driving Caris offers for a little bit of shooting and someone to fill in as a true big off the bench (sorry KLove you just don’t have it anymore). I could see the spurs giving Collins up too considering they have Poeltl and are in the tank race for Wembanyama already
Altman is trying to get some kind of asset for Levert before he turns an UFA.
I have no faith in Levert remaining as a cav after the deadline.