CLEVELAND, Ohio — A little more than a year ago, the Brooklyn Nets entered the James Harden sweepstakes, prying Harden away from the Houston Rockets and preventing rival Philadelphia from getting him in the kind of go-for-broke trade that was expected to shift the Eastern Conference topography.
It has. Just not for Brooklyn. For the Cleveland Cavaliers. That four-team blockbuster remains the gift that keeps on giving.
On Sunday evening, inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, shortly before 4:30 p.m., the Cavaliers agreed to acquire 27-year-old guard Caris LeVert from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Ricky Rubio, Cleveland’s lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick and multiple second-rounders — Houston’s in 2022 and one via Utah in 2027, sources tell cleveland.com. The Cavs will also receive a Miami Heat 2022 second-rounder, sources say.
The expected call with the league is Monday, with LeVert set to take a physical after.
The Cavs and Pacers started LeVert-centric discussions weeks ago, as Cleveland compiled a lengthy list of potential replacements for injured guards Collin Sexton and Rubio. The front office recently checked on Milwaukee guard Donte DiVincenzo’s availability, sources say. But the Bucks weren’t interested in helping a team they may have to topple during an upcoming title defense. Cleveland executives stayed in touch with the Houston Rockets about Eric Gordon and the Orlando Magic when it came to Gary Harris and Terrence Ross. Even inquired about San Antonio guard Derrick White.
In many of those cases, the price tag was too high. Sources say the Cavs weren’t willing to give a first-round pick for 33-year-old Gordon. The Rockets have been adamant about at least that level of compensation and multiple sources believe they may hang on to Gordon through Thursday’s trade deadline, revisiting deals this offseason. San Antonio wanted a combination of young players and draft picks for White.
Even as Cleveland parsed through various options, one thing became clear: LeVert was the top target.
His age, talent, contract situation and skill set made him the best fit. The Cavs had Rubio’s expiring contract — an ideal trade chip for an Indiana team that’s disappointed this year and looking to rebuild. Rubio’s $17.8 million number also aligned perfectly with LeVert’s salary.
The only remaining question centered on draft capital. The Pacers were originally hoping for multiple firsts. But that was steep. One first-rounder — expected to fall outside the lottery given how good the Cavs have been this season — was too light. So, what else could satisfy Indiana?
The Pacers had interest in rugged, defense-first swingman Isaac Okoro, sources say. That wasn’t happening. There were other proposals exchanged, some with different seconds included. The two sides ultimately found the right components Sunday evening, with the Houston second rounder being viewed almost as a late first considering the Rockets are likely to finish with one of the league’s worst records.
What does any of this have to do with Brooklyn’s Harden deal last January?
LeVert was also part of it, initially headed to the Rockets before getting rerouted to Indiana because Houston was more interested in draft capital for its impending rebuild.
Flash forward a year. Indiana is struggling. The Pacers, after making the Play-In Tournament last season and hiring playoff-tested Rick Carlisle as coach, have tumbled down the standings. After blowing a massive lead to the Cavs Sunday night, Indiana is 19-36, the conference’s third-worst record, seven games back of Atlanta for the final Play-In spot.
That made LeVert available, quite possibly the start of a firesale. The Cavs pounced, recognizing a need to add more playmaking and scoring, alleviating some of Darius Garland’s workload.
Unlike the aging Gordon, LeVert is able to fit snuggly into Cleveland’s contention window, which cracked open this season following three years of futility.
LeVert is under contract for the remainder of this season and next. He’s extension-eligible this summer — an example of Cleveland’s shrewd front office brilliantly threading the short- and long-term needle while also staying out of the luxury tax. Avoiding the tax remains a priority.
Depending on how this trial goes, extension talks will likely begin following the season. LeVert would become another core piece of one of the conference’s most exciting rosters.
The subject of trade rumors the last few weeks, LeVert is averaging 18.7 points this season. He had a 42-point outburst against Chicago on Friday. Throughout the season, with Malcolm Brogdon sidelined because of injury, LeVert has stepped into a primary playmaker role. In Cleveland, he will play on and off the ball, with and without Garland, buoy the second unit and close games, create for himself and others — a combination of Sexton before his season-ending torn meniscus and Rubio until he tore his ACL.
The Cavs aren’t concerned about LeVert’s high usage numbers. In their eyes, Garland’s swollen usage rate following the Rubio loss in late December is unsustainable. They also need someone to attack the paint, entering Sunday’s action ranked 29th in drives. LeVert ranks among the top 10 scorers on drives to the basket. Garland is right up there as well. This move creates more balance within the offense.
“Caris LeVert is a tremendous player for any style,” Carlisle said following the Cavs’ 98-85 win over the Pacers. “He’s a guy who can legitimately play point guard, which makes him a tremendous playmaking 2 guard. Him and Garland in the backcourt is really dynamic. These guys have improved their team a great deal today.”
LeVert, out of Ohio’s Pickerington Central High School, took the Pacers team bus from The Ritz-Carlton Sunday evening. He arrived with his mates, expecting to play against the team down the hall. LeVert never took his coat off. He was informed of the deal, met with Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman in the visitor’s locker room and expressed excitement over the opportunity to play with an ascending team likely headed to the postseason — in his home state.
According to a source who spoke with LeVert Sunday night — before he was escorted out of the arena and back to The Ritz, where he will spend the night courtesy of the Cavaliers — LeVert called playing back home “a dream come true.”
It doesn’t hurt that he will be reunited with former Nets teammate Jarrett Allen — the All-Star hopeful center the Cavs acquired in the Harden deal last year. Like LeVert, Allen was a salary-cap casualty in that swap.
At the time, Cleveland had the financial flexibility to take on Taurean Prince’s bloated contract, so Altman stealthily jumped in that deal, stealing Allen, and making him a centerpiece of the rebuild with a five-year, $100 million contract extension this past summer.
According to veteran Kevin Love, Allen’s addition last January was the beginning of this stunning turnaround.
“Trading for J.A. was a huge thing for us,” Love said. “That can’t be overlooked how massive that was for us, and is for us now. I think that sped it up very fast.”
It was one of many moves Altman has nailed since becoming team architect.
“When you look at the deals that he’s made, he has made us much better basketball team through his aggressiveness and seeking value where others may not see, but having the idea of how this one impacts the next,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “The proof is there. You look at guys like Jarrett and what he’s been able to do for this team and that’s a credit to Koby for making sure we got involved in what Brooklyn was trying to do. It wasn’t just Koby being singularly focused on something. He put himself in position with other teams as well and that speaks to the communication, his reputation, and being able to have those conversations with other teams.”
Months after adding Allen, the Cavs drafted Evan Mobley with the No. 3 pick. Mobley is the Rookie of the Year favorite. Then Darius Garland emerged, becoming the first Cavs player since LeBron James to be chosen as an All-Star. Don’t forget Okoro, 24-year-old Lauri Markkanen and Sexton, who the Cavs still like and want to keep long term.
Now add LeVert. That’s a sturdy foundation.
Suddenly, the present and future are both brighter than at any point of the first post-LeBron era. The Cavs were already a playoff contender before Sunday’s trade — now a 33-21 record, just one game out of first place. A postseason appearance would be the first without LeBron since 1998. Plugging this glaring playmaking hole with LeVert gives Cleveland a chance to win its first non-LeBron playoff series since 1993.
What an unprecedented renaissance. One that wouldn’t have been possible without the Harden trade. That set the dominos in motion.
Jan. 13 changed everything.
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