3 Cavs players who won’t be on the team by next season

3 Cavs players who won’t be on the team by next season: Caris LeVert

We now come to the most controversial option. Robin Lopez is a decent bet to be on another team, as he is on a one-year veteran’s minimum, but he really seems to enjoy being a part of this team already and the Cavs will likely continue to carry a veteran third center. Kevin Love and Lamar Stevens will be free agents, but both could be retained at reasonable money.

The wild card is Caris LeVert. He is currently entering the last year of his deal, and he doesn’t have a clear role with the Cavaliers long-term. He’s an on-ball play creator and passer, but the Cavs have three or four such players they’d rather have holding the ball: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Ricky Rubio. While LeVert can function as a secondary ball-handler in many configurations, it’s a longshot to expect him to be closing games for this team in the playoffs.

The question of price therefore rears its head. Are the Cavs going to pay $15 million or more to LeVert for him to be a 6th or 7th man and not close games? They are much better off pivoting those resources into a true small forward. It’s possible that LeVert buys into the role of guarding 3s and playing off-ball, but he’s never proven he can do that in his career. Much more likely he struggles to find his spot on this team amidst a crowded room of ball-handlers.

Whether the Cavs flip LeVert for help at the 3 before the trade deadline, enact a sign-and-trade next summer or simply let him walk in free agency, it seems increasingly unlikely that Caris LeVert will be around after this upcoming season. He tops the list of players who won’t be on the team by next season.