The Cleveland Cavaliers have been exhilarating to watch in a rollercoaster of ups and downs a little over the halfway point this season. The Cavs are trying to continue their rise above expectations, sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 28-18.
The team from Cleveland has seen it all early on. Injuries, a Darius Garland 51-point performance, a terrible stretch of perimeter defense, late game growing pains, not to mention one of the greatest offensive games of all time by Donovan Mitchell. Caris LeVert matched Donovan for 41 points in Boston, there’s been a Kevin Love shooting slump, again it’s been a ride.
The Cavaliers are rumored to be keeping their eyes peeled for another wing shooter/scorer via trade. It’s been the Cavs’ weakest spot from a starting standpoint, and although the bench has helped at times, it’s the inconsistency that keeps you up at night. If the Cavaliers seriously want to compete and contend, the team needs to have weapons firing on all cylinders, contributing night in and night out from all starting positions.
LeVert has done his fair share of contributing to the offense, starting 21 games for the Wine and Gold this season. No. 3 has been labeled as the Cavaliers’ most obvious trade chip at this time, according to a report from NBA Insider Marc Stein in his Substack (subscription required). LeVert does have the ability to help the squad run up the scoreboard and is probably the player Cleveland could get the most for in a return.
There for a while, the Cavs went with the undrafted 25-year-old Lamar Stevens starting in 18 games this season. He started 11 total games in the month of December, where the team had a record of 6-5. He averaged 24.9 minutes per start, 6.2 PTS, and a 37.7 overall field goal percentage, shooting 29.0 percent from the three during that span.
What are Koby Altman and this front office going to do the closer we get to the trade deadline? That’s an answer nobody will know until it’s time to know, unfortunately. Will the Cavaliers acquire a sharpshooting wing who can light it up from behind the arc in the near future?
One would like to think so, but who does one turn to? Who have J.B. Bickerstaff and staff called on to fill the void of what has been one of Cleveland’s weakest links? As of late, the team has dialed up none other than their former 5th-overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, in Isaac Okoro.