CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Prior to Sunday evening’s game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Caris LeVert had to change locker rooms.
The Cavaliers and Pacers are close to finalizing a trade to send LeVert along with a 2022 second-round pick to Cleveland from the Pacers for Ricky Rubio’s expiring contract, a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick plus a 2022 second-round pick via Houston and a 2027 second-round pick via Utah.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the trade and Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed the trade was being finalized between the two teams.
“Knowing Koby [Altman] and the conversations, we’ve always been pretty aggressive around the trade deadline,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said prior to news of the trade breaking. “I don’t think we’re a perfect team by any means so any additions or upgrades I think will be important. But the important thing is, we can’t do things that are going to disrupt chemistry with his group.
“That’s what we found early on, and we have to be really cautious about additions and subtractions that may interfere with that chemistry.”
LeVert, who has one more year remaining on his contract for next year and is making $17.5 million this season, has averaged 18.7 points, 4.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 39 games for the Pacers this season.
The deal reunited LeVert with his former Brooklyn Nets teammate Jarrett Allen.
Rubio, who was lost for the season due to a torn left ACL in late December, is being paid $16.2 million this season.
The addition of LeVert accomplishes Bickerstaff’s goal of not affecting chemistry while upgrading the backcourt.
“We’re not in the position we’re in where we’re buyers at this point if it wasn’t for our chemistry,” Bickerstaff said. “We won’t do anything that will disrupt that for sure.
“Our guys in that locker room are extremely competitive so we need to make sure that whatever the decision we make is a decision that’s really going to give us a leap.”
The NBA trade deadline is Thursday. It remains to be seen if Altman is done.
“I love this group of dudes,” Bickerstaff said. “And if this is what we’re going to war with, I trust to go to war with them every night.”