3 Cavs players who won’t be on the team by next season
No. 1: Caris LeVert
Our third and final entry on this list is not like the others. Caris LeVert just signed a solid two-year, $32 million contract to stay with the team. The Cleveland Cavaliers love his attitude and approach to the game, his presence in the locker room, and above all his ability to step into the lineup and reasonably replace either Darius Garland or Donovan Mitchell.
The problem with LeVert is that his skillset is largely redundant when both Garland and Mitchell are healthy. It’s a problem we’ve talked about since he was added, but that reality (no matter how much the coaches love him) means he’s a decent bet to be moved in a trade.
LeVert has real value on his current contract, and since the Cavaliers are unlikely to deal Max Strus or Georges Niang, LeVert is the top candidate to be involved in a trade for a combo forward who can shoot and defend. The Cavaliers can keep LeVert around for the first half of the season as insurance against a Garland or Mitchell injury, then use him to bring another two-way player who offers more off-ball value and defensive chops than LeVert.
Next. Grade the Trade: Cavaliers go 2-for-1 in brilliant proposal. dark
It’s possible that Isaac Okoro or Dean Wade end up as the player used to execute such a trade, but LeVert’s skillset, salary and value around the league make him the top option to be the centerpiece in a trade. He leads the list of players most likely to be gone by this time next year.