The Cleveland Cavaliers have welcomed and bid farewell to a handful of talented players in recent years as they developed a true contending roster.
Cleveland's 2018 first-round pick Collin Sexton helped usher in a rebuild for the Cavs after LeBron James' exit to the Los Angeles Lakers. When the Cavaliers included Sexton in a trade for Donovan Mitchell in 2022, Cleveland signaled that the rebuild was going to be short-lived. Instead, the franchise set sights for another run to the NBA Finals.
Those Finals hopes have yet to be fulfilled as the Cavs continuously fall short in the playoffs, losing in spectacularly embarrassing fashion. Still, Cleveland remains a top squad in the Eastern Conference, but as other teams form into challenging rivals, the Cavaliers cannot ignore the dangers ahead.
Two of the Cavaliers' division rivals, the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons, have suddenly emerged as top teams in the conference. While the Bulls' early run may not be expected to sustain itself, the Pistons are quickly looking like the real deal. One player who has helped elevate Detroit is Cleveland's former sixth man and Columbus native Caris LeVert.
Over roughly four seasons with the Cavaliers, LeVert established himself as a high-caliber bench scorer and solid defender. The 6-foot-6 guard showed confidence with Cleveland, leading to numerous heroic comebacks set in motion by his fearless scoring attempts.
LeVert is one of the Piston's best role players
Cleveland traded LeVert at the most recent trade deadline alongside Georges Niang for 3-and-D wing De'Andre Hunter. After finishing the year with the Atlanta Hawks, LeVert signed a multi-year deal with Detroit to become a key bench contributor on an ascending contender.
The Pistons hold a 9-2 record through the first 11 games, and LeVert is already fitting in nicely. While LeVert has not appeared in each game, he has given Detroit another three-point threat and ball handler. Through seven games played, the former Cavalier is averaging 7.9 points and shooting 40.9 percent from deep.
In his reunion with former Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff, LeVert is transitioning into the Pistons' system without much frustration along the way. As he continues to find his role and appear in more games, he could suddenly become one of the Cavs' biggest threats in the playoffs. LeVert is a tall guard who can score at all three levels, which in turn creates better looks for his teammates.
The season is early and LeVert is injured. The Cavaliers saw the highs and lows of his game, watching as his inconsistency game-to-game often balanced out his impact with delivering one win followed immediately by shooting the Cavaliers into a painful loss. With Detroit, though, his scoring ability is not as crucial to every win. His season high with the Pistons thus far is only 14 points. Detroit is utilizing LeVert perfectly as a non-essential but valuable spark plug off the bench.
After the Cleveland Cavaliers' latest loss to the Miami Heat, their 7-4 record places them in fourth in the East. Conversely, the Pistons hold the top seed following an overtime victory against the 1-10 Washington Wizards. The butterfly effect of the Hunter trade may have gifted the Pistons with the perfect killer of the Cavaliers' Finals dreams.