Former rival could help Cavaliers win another title in proposed trade

A balanced trade to land former rival on Cavaliers

If the Kings look to move Harrison Barnes for a first-round pick, the Cavs are out of luck. They’ve committed all of their tradeable picks by trading for Caris LeVert and Donovan Mitchell. If the Kings are instead focused on win-now players as they make their playoff push, the Cavaliers may be able to help.

The popular trade machine website Fanspo proposed this trade on Twitter, and instantly it looks like a deal the Cavaliers need to inquire about. If the Kings value LeVert as another perimeter creator to help their offense hum, this deal could work for both sides:

Harrison Barnes makes $18.3 million this season in the final year of his contract, while Caris LeVert makes #18.7 million on an expiring deal himself. That makes it easy to do a simple, 1-for-1 swap, with the Cavs tossing in this year’s second-round pick (courtesy of the Golden State Warriors) as a nod to Barnes’ positional value.

At age 30, Barnes is the oldest member of the Kings’ core and over two years older than LeVert. The Kings have loved deploying three-guard lineups this season, which often leaves Barnes moving to the bench. The player who used to be the key to small-ball lineups is now being phased out for them.

In LeVert, the Kings would get a little younger and get a ball-handler who can help fill the gaps between Fox and the rest of the backcourt. Especially if they don’t wish to re-sign Barnes this summer, moving him now for a player they like makes sense.