Before he even played a full season’s worth of games for the Cleveland Cavaliers, seven-year pro Caris LeVert could have been on his way out of Ohio as the Cavs explored roster upgrades ahead of the trade deadline. While nobody doubts LeVert’s heart and his character alone makes fans want to believe in his potential, his streakiness has reared its ugly often.
Averaging 12.0 points in 30.4 minutes per game, LeVert’s shooting a career-low 41.0 percent from the floor.
Nonetheless, LeVert is knocking down a career-high 36.4 percent from 3-pointers. He’s moved the ball well, demonstrating his skillset as a multi-positional two-way playmaker. The addition of All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell has alleviated the pressure placed upon not just LeVert but the entire roster. Yet, LeVert has had to take a smaller role and he’s done so in stride.
That said, the expectations for LeVert were higher when the Cavs acquired him in a package that included the popular Ricky Rubio and a first-round pick. So, nobody could exactly blame Cleveland for wondering if they should move Levert and his expiring $18.8 million contract.
For his part, LeVert is glad the Cavs kept him past the trade deadline, as he relayed to Basketball News Spencer Davies.
“It’s cool to I guess have a home for the rest of the season, not have to pack up and go somewhere else… I’ve done that the past two seasons. It’s very stressful to do that and hectic, so it’s cool to be with this group and finish the season out and see how far we can go.