Trade Alert: Grading LeVert deal from all angles

Grading LeVert deal from all angles: Final Verdict

Caris LeVert is by all accounts a great guy, a solid teammate and hard worker who has publicly said all the right things about joining the team and putting in the work. He is also a player who likes the ball in his hands to the extent that he bucks play calls that require giving up the rock or moving off-ball. Will playing for a top seed like the Cavs drive him towards more buy-in?

LeVert’s contract as it stands is not onerous, but any potential extension would be, especially if it means a raise on his current salary amount. His impact on Sexton’s future with the team will be something to watch closely, as will his play when sharing the court with Darius Garland.

At the end of the day, while other teams are making trades that bewilder or irritate their fan bases, the Cavs’ move for LeVert seems to have energized theirs. The team is excited, LeVert seems excited, and fans are excited. That’s the right recipe for this team in this season even if the team may have given up too much to bring him in.

This deal will ultimately be graded on how LeVert fits with Garland, if he is a part of the closing lineups, and whether he elevates his game in the postseason. If those areas see a positive return, the price given up will be well worth it. If he struggles in the areas he has struggled in thus far in his career, the Cavs may wish they had better leveraged their assets at this deadline to make a different move.

Grade: B-

This is a solid trade by the Cavs. It likely won’t be the move that pushes them over the top, but that was always going to be about the development of Garland and Mobley anyway. Let’s see how the stretch run goes and continue to reevaluate. For now, this was good enough.