Cavaliers should pitch this trade to the Mavericks after Kyrie Irving deal

Building the trade

There have been some talks recently that the Cavs are “content” with Caris LeVert, per a report from Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports, and it is possible they do not move him at the deadline. But, if the Cavs were able to successfully complete this trade with the Mavericks, it might be worth considering moving LeVert.

Cleveland has several players that should be untouchable. Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen are the obvious ones. Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love provide veteran expertise on and off the court, so Cleveland would be wise to keep them around as they mentor the younger talent. Even with Love out of the rotation, and being on the last year of his contract, it makes sense that the Cavs would keep him on a new veteran minimum deal next year or a reasonable deal.

Other players that should remain on the roster, are Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade (who can’t be traded, given his recent contract extension), and Cedi Osman, unless the offer is worth it.

Now, for some players that could be on the move at the deadline – Caris LeVert still remains one of Cleveland’s best trade assets. A trade that Cleveland could offer Dallas could look something like this:

Dallas has fallen slightly in the standings, currently at 6th place with a 29-26 record. This Mavericks team could use all the help they can get when it comes to taking the burden off of Luka. Bringing in Caris LeVert can provide the Mavericks with a tertiary playmaker alongside Kyrie and Luka, with some additional scoring as well. With LeVert, the Mavericks could run several different offensive plans, like having Kyrie or Luka play off the ball while LeVert facilitates.

With a current stat line of 12.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game this season, Caris LeVert would enhance Dallas’ roster. Cleveland could also move Dylan Windler in this trade. Unfortunately, Windler’s time in Cleveland has been mired by injuries. Yet, he still has interesting potential for an NBA team.

Windler has not played this year due to an ankle injury, which kept him off the court, but during his collegiate tenure at Belmont, the 6’6″ small forward managed to average 13.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Dylan Windler has the capability to be a decent scoring threat off the bench.

Although with the uncertainty surrounding him, the Mavericks may not accept a trade of just Windler and LeVert, so Cleveland could include a 2026 second-round pick via the L.A. Lakers to move the deal along. If Windler can reach his potential in Dallas, this trade package of him, LeVert, and a 2026 Lakers second-round pick could realistically be accepted by the Mavericks.

The question is, do the Cavs accept and would they benefit as well?