Grade the Trade: Cavaliers get a Buddy in newest pitch
What would a Buddy Hield trade look like?
It is possible but unlikely that the Cleveland Cavaliers include any of their big four in a deal for Hield. You could perhaps talk your way to a three-way deal involving Jarrett Allen that would throw the Cavs entirely into an offense-focused approach, but once you factor in age and contract that seems far-fetched.
That means that to match Hield’s salary the Cavaliers almost certainly have to include Caris LeVert. That would be a homecoming of sorts for LeVert, who was on the Indiana Pacers when the Cavaliers traded for him in the first place. The Cavs would likely hope to trade Ricky Rubio to the Pacers once again, but it’s more likely the Pacers look for forward depth and ask for Dean Wade.
Here’s what such a deal could look like:
The Indiana Pacers would get a pair of cost-controlled players that are both worthy of their rotation, but can also be flipped in other deals down the line. LeVert and Bennedict Mathurin have a lot of overlapping skills, which can provide stylistic continuity when both are healthy and easy replacement play when one is unavailable. Indiana would be buying low on Wade, who could bounce back in a major way after a shoulder injury hampered him last season.
If this deal were to appeal to the Pacers, would it be worth the while for the Cavaliers?