If the Cleveland Cavaliers put Caris LeVert on the trade block, which teams could come calling?
Much of the discourse around whether or not the Cavaliers will trade Caris LeVert has focused on the Cleveland side of things. LeVert is on an expiring deal and could walk in free agency this summer, and with players receiving pay raises it may be extremely difficult for the Cavs to bring him back on a market deal.
More so, if the Cavaliers are open to trading LeVert, he could be a mechanism for reducing their payroll and dropping below the luxury tax line, saving the team (i.e. governor Dan Gilbert) a significant sum of money both now and in the future.
Yet for a Caris LeVert trade to take place, there have to be NBA teams -- or at the very least one team -- interested in trading for him. There is a lot to like about LeVert's game, with his solid defense, on-ball scoring and playmaking and lights-out shooting this season, but he is also a pending free agent making more than $16 million this season. Not every team is willing to either risk him walking nor can they easily put together the matching salary.
Which teams would be interested in making a deal for the veteran swingman? Teams that need an offensive burst or specifically more on-ball playmaking could pursue LeVert, as could teams without a shot creator on their second unit.
The ideal landing spot for Caris LeVert was just pitched by NBA analyst Tom Ziller, and it's a team that makes a lot of sense: the Orlando Magic.
The Magic could trade for Caris LeVert
The Orlando Magic deserve a lot of credit for how they have scrapped and clawed their way to a 24-24 record despite long-term injury absences to their two best players (their third-best has missed 13 games himself, Jalen Suggs). Yet for a team that expects to make some noise in the Eastern Conference playoffs, they are thin on shooting and scoring in the backcourt.
Caris LeVert could come off the bench and be the secondary playmaker and scorer alongside either Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner. His shooting would be a significant boon for a team that ranks dead-last in 3-pointers per game AND in 3-point percentage. The Magic rarely take 3-pointers and they just as rarely go in.
LeVert is having a breakout season as a shooter, hitting 42 percent of his 3.9 attempts per game from deep. That is opening up room for his drive game to the basket, and his playmaking unlocks open shots for teammates. For the Magic, he could step in as a shooter that opponents have to respect from day one, while also taking on-ball reps at times as well.
Trading LeVert to the Magic for Cole Anthony and a protected first would save the Cavaliers money and restock their bare cupboards of draft capital. It would also juice the Orlando offense and give them a key battle-tested player to speak to how it's done.
The ideal landing spot for Caris LeVert? Look no further than Orlando, FL, where he could step in and meet a need right away - and perhaps see Cleveland again when the playoff roll around.