Could Cavs trade Caris LeVert to Heat for an elite shooter?

Could Cavs trade Caris LeVert to Heat? Why Cavs might do it

There are 16 players seasons in NBA history where a player shot 40 percent or better from 3-point range on at least eight 3-point attempts per game. Stephen Curry has six of those seasons, Klay Thompson two. The only other player to show up more than once? Duncan Robinson, who also ranks second on that list in percentage after hitting 44.6 percent of his 8.3 attempts per game in the 2019-20 NBA season.

In other words, Robinson has demonstrated over the course of two seasons that he is one of the most prolific and accurate shooters in NBA history, and certainly in the league today. He’s not simply a spot-up shooter, but he is a true movement shooter, sprinting off of screens to catch, turn and shoot in one fluid motion. Unlike many of the league’s best shooters Robinson is tall enough at 6’7″ to get his shot off even against great contests.

On most teams he would be somewhat indispensable, and certainly, the Miami Heat had that opinion as recently as a year ago when they inked him to a five-year, $90 million contract. Since then the Heat have developed a pair of players in Max Strus and Haywood Highsmith that can reasonably approximate Robinson’s shooting – albeit at a lower volume – that they would feel comfortable moving on from Robinson.

He would instantly step alongside Kevin Love and Darius Garland as the Cavs’ best shooters, and his off-ball movement would crack open the paint for actions involving Evan Mobley and Jarett Allen inside. Run a pick-and-roll with Garland and Allen while simultaneously setting an off-ball screen for Robinson with Mobley; who does the defense leave open?

Robinson could be something of an example and mentor to Agbaji, he would instantly juice the team’s shooting, and he would unlock lineups that otherwise lacked floor spacing. All for a player whose off-ball abilities left much to be desired in LeVert. On-ball shot creation is valuable, but mildly efficient on-ball creation at the expense of off-ball gravity or any defensive impact whatsoever becomes much less valuable. Flipping LeVert for Robinson would give the Cavs a piece that fits much better with a lot more players.