The Cleveland Cavaliers have a top-10 option at four of the five positions in their starting lineup. That’s a wild reality. Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are all extremely talented and will lock down their respective positions for years to come.
The one remaining spot, however, is a massive question mark. Lauri Markkanen started last season at small forward, but he is gone now, traded to the Utah Jazz as part of the Mitchell package. Isaac Okoro is too small, Caris LeVert a poor fit and Dean Wade doesn’t have much upside. That’s the weak spot of the team and the reason they may not turn this trade into something special.
The Cleveland Cavaliers need a small forward, and they need to trade Caris LeVert. What starting 3s around the league could the Cavs flip LeVert for?
We detailed why Caris LeVert is such a poor fit, and concluded that the Cavs have to trade him. Ideally that trade would bring back a player who can start at the 3 for this team. That player needs to be comfortable defending multiple positions, a plus shooter and ideally not exceptionally old so they can stick around for a few years.
That archetype of player is the most valuable role player in the league, the quintessential 3-and-D wing. The Cavs have mostly unloaded their chest of assets in acquiring Mitchell, but perhaps LeVert plus a few second-round picks could get something done. None of these trades are necessarily likely, but they are possible.
Can the Cavs flip LeVert for a starting small forward? Let’s look at the best candidates likely to be available.
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.
3 LeVert trades for a new SF: Reggie Bullock, Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks have an imbalanced roster. They built a team of incredible two-way role players around Luka Doncic, but with the loss of Jalen Brunson they have a significant need for secondary ball-handling, shot creation and playmaking.
LeVert doesn’t do any of that at an elite level, but the Mavericks can use someone who just does them well. With the strong shooting of their role players, they can better weather his poor 3-point shooting. As things stand, if Spencer Dinwiddie has a poor start or Doncic gets hurt, their lack of a backup point guard could set them into a tailspin.
The one player the Cavs would be open to moving on the wing is Reggie Bullock. He has two years left on his contract, and the Mavericks could want to move on from that salary slot. With Tim Hardaway Jr. now healthy and both Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith are 3-and-D prospects on their own.
Bullock is a sharpshooter who can space the court and play good defense. The Mavs probably want more than a veteran role player and a pair of seconds.
3 LeVert trades for a new SF: Dillon Brooks, Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies continue to rebuild at their pace, refusing to rush things and allowing their talented players to continue to develop. They have resisted making a win-now trade, or even a less risky deal for a young budding star like Donovan Mitchell.
What that has left them with is a lack of shot creation. Tyus Jones re-signed for two years, but he is more of a supporting player when it comes to generating offense. Having a player other than Ja Morant could help their offense not be stagnant. Caris LeVert may interest the Grizzlies along those lines.
At the same time, they have a high-level wing in Desmond Bane coming into his own. Dillon Brooks is more expensive and older, and the Grizzlies may look to move him for the right return. LeVert and a few second-round picks could be that right return. LeVert helps Memphis strike a better rotational balance, and the Cavs get a tough, high-energy defender who isn’t afraid to attack or shoot the basketball.
As we said, none of these deals are particularly likely. Even so, they are all possible, enough that the Cavs have to make calls and see what teams are willing to do. If they can flip Caris LeVert for any of these three players – Harrison Barnes, Reggie Bullock or Dillon Brooks – they will suddenly be in a much better position moving forward.