CLEVELAND — Will the contending Cavaliers attempt to bolster their roster with a trade before next week's deadline? We won't know for sure until Thursday at 3 p.m., but it appears they may have a preference when it comes to the players currently on the market.
According to The Athletic's Joe Vardon, the Cavs are trying to acquire Indiana Pacers wingman Caris LeVert before the deadline comes less than four days from now. The 27-year-old Ohio native has been one of several notable names linked to Cleveland as the clock ticks down, and ironically, the Pacers are set to visit Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Sunday evening.
A six-year NBA veteran, LeVert is averaging 18.7 points per game this year for the Pacers, who themselves got him from Brooklyn in the four-team trade that sent former MVP James Harden to the Nets as well as big man Jarrett Allen to the Cavaliers. Unfortunately, Indiana's record is just 19-35, well out of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
By contrast, the surprising Cavs are currently tied for third in the East at 32-21, just 1 1/2 games behind top-seeded Chicago. The organization has been looking to add depth for the stretch run, particularly with guards Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio out for the year with respective knee injuries.
Both players have disabled player exceptions totaling more than $12 million, meaning Cleveland could technically take on LeVert's $17.5-million salary without giving up a member of its roster. Sexton himself has also been mentioned as a potential trade chip, and interestingly enough, the former top-10 draft pick signed with Rich Paul's Klutch Sports Group on Saturday.
The Cavaliers have not made the postseason since winning their fourth straight Eastern Conference championship in 2018, the last year before LeBron James left again. Their last playoff berth without LeBron's services came all the way back in 1998, when they lost in the first round to (fittingly) the Pacers.