3 worthwhile trades that would flip LeVert for a starting small forward

3 LeVert trades for a new SF: Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings

Harrison Barnes has been on a roller coaster of public opinion over the life of his career. As a young player, he was a top prospect who had an inconsistent stint in college, then on the Golden State Warriors he was a key part of the original Death Lineup that took the league by storm…until he went cold in the NBA Finals Game 7 and became the victim of Warriors’ fans ire. His time in Dallas was as an overrated and miscast top option.

Over the past few seasons Barnes has been a top-notch role player for the Sacramento Kings, rehabilitating his value on a team that continues to spin its tires. Barnes has developed his shot into a consistent weapon and is a rugged defender; he can’t be a team’s star, but he fits perfectly alongside them.

The Kings just drafted Keegan Murray as a combo forward and could decide to move on from Barnes as they build a young, competitive team around Domantas Sabonis. A player like Caris LeVert could be a secondary ball-handler and playmaker to help glue the Kings’ rotation together.

For the Cavs, Barnes is something of a best-case scenario for that small forward spot. He has excellent size at 6’8″ and enough strength to switch frequently with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. He has shot 39.2 percent from deep with the Kings and would provide much-needed spacing at the 3 without sacrificing much of their size.

Would the Kings trade Barnes for LeVert and a pair of second-round picks? Probably not, but they haven’t exactly been the shrewdest evaluators in trades. The Cavs should call and make the offer just to see what the Kings say.