Even with Cavs’ trade winds swirling, Caris LeVert is stepping up

With the NBA Trade Deadline around the corner on Feb. 9, it wouldn’t be unrealistic for the Cleveland Cavaliers to make a move.

The Cavaliers been a squad that’s reportedly been seeking possible upgrades on the wing, and it’s understandable, given some inconsistencies at the 3 position and shooting questions. The Cavaliers have one of the league’s top backcourts with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell setting the tone, and Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are the two anchors for Cleveland’s defense.

For Cleveland, though, given some uncertainties as far as wing shooting, it’s sensible for the Wine and Gold to be linked to potential trade targets such as Tim Hardaway Jr., Bojan Bogdanovic, and recently, Malik Beasley. Others have popped up as feasible targets it seems as well such as Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson, and all of those aforementioned players could provide a shooting boost for the Cavaliers.

As far as logical possible trade candidates from the Cavs, players such as Caris LeVert and Cedi Osman have often been mentioned as players that could be dealt, and in the case with LeVert, it would seem to be a good possibility he is ultimately traded. Cleveland has reportedly recently “weighed” pursuing a three-team deal with the Atlanta Hawks and Utah Jazz in which LeVert would be sent to Atlanta, Beasley would go to Cleveland and John Collins would be dealt to Utah.

LeVert has been an oft-mentioned trade candidate for the Cavaliers, given his expiring $18.8 million deal for this season, and with how he can be a meaningful shot creation and secondary playmaking presence. LeVert’s a player that has had some ups and downs since his time with the Cavaliers, in which he was initially acquired via trade from the Indiana Pacers near last seasons’  deadline.

There are some questions as it pertains to LeVert still, objectively, and his expiring deal is a meaningful one for possible trades. That being said, as the season has worn on, he has given the Cavaliers more of a lift, and even amid the rumors/trade talk involving his outlook with Cleveland, LeVert has been productive, which should be taken into consideration.

Even with Cavs’ trade winds swirling, LeVert is stepping up.

There’s been some ups and downs for LeVert this season, and him being at times both in a starting and bench role on and off is somewhat coincided with that.

He has been more viable than one probably would’ve anticipated in an off-ball sense playing with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell for stretches, but he still does seem to be at his best when one of those players is off, or sidelined, in some contests. LeVert had 23 points, knocked in four threes and had six assists in Wednesday’s one-point loss at the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night, for example, and Mitchell was sidelined with a groin injury.

Generally, though, LeVert has stepped up for a considerable chunk of games for the Cavaliers. In his last 15 games, five being starts, he’s had 13.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per outing, and has had connected on 39.3 percent of his deep attempts. KJG’s Mateo Mayorga campaigned for the Cavs to potentially extend the 6-foot-6 wing via a reasonable deal with this sort of thing and the 28-year-old’s team-first attitude in mind as well, for what it’s worth.

Sure, there’s been five games where he’s had single digits, and the minutes-share for him in most of those games has been cut significantly as a result of LeVert not finding a rhythm. With LeVert, there’s still going to be clunkers here and there, such as in Cleveland’s win at the Portland Trail Blazers last week, when he had four points in 31 minutes.

However, LeVert has had his share of impactful games for the Cavaliers in the last month or so, and with him healthy (which he wasn’t enough post-trade last season to make his presence felt), he’s given Cleveland a jolt.

That’s not hurting his trade value, necessarily, at first glance, and LeVert’s shot creation and playmaking can aid other clubs. And if LeVert’s expiring deal can feasibly help the Cavs land rumored potential shooter targets the Cavs have shown interest in such as Bojan Bogdanovic, Tim Hardaway Jr. or Malik Beasley, among others, then so be it.

But, the Cavaliers do reportedly hold what LeVert does in high regard, and his solid play amid trade rumors leading into the deadline shouldn’t be discounted, either, even also with his struggles inside the arc early on, too. Regardless, this quality stretch from the veteran wing is something to keep in mind, despite me having questions about him possibly being a player that could be a long-term piece.