The Cleveland Cavaliers don't have a lot of cards left to play. They pushed nearly all of their chips into the middle in trading for Donovan Mitchell, making the bet that they could reach the level of contention with the pieces they had in place already. That bet has mostly been proven out, as the Cavs won 51 games last season, but they also are clearly outside the inner ring of Eastern Conference contenders.
With their first-round picks all promised, a trade to upgrade the roster in any meaningful way means either breaking up their core of stars, something they are understandably loath to do, or trading Caris LeVert. The dynamic swingman has been both a high-level Sixth Man for the Cavs and the perfect fill-in when Mitchell or Darius Garland miss time, but it's undeniable that he is more valuable to a team that needs his on-ball creation.
Which teams might be interested in LeVert, enough to trade real assets for him? Let's look at five potential candidates and see why they would want to add LeVert to their rosters.
No. 5: The Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors have built a team of similar players, a reality that is strangling their ability to score in halfcourt offense. Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes are all truly power forwards, with Anunoby the only one who provides much off-ball value. They lost their on-ball creator in Fred VanVleet and have struggled to replace him. If and when they lose Siakam via trade or in free agency next summer, they will truly be strapped for on-ball creation.
That's where LeVert comes in, a player who can come off the bench or even start at shooting guard for the Raptors. He can help them score in the halfcourt and has improved as an off-ball player to run alongside Barnes or Siakam when they have the ball. He helps solve many of their issues and is under contract for another season past this one.