Cleveland Cavaliers wing Caris LeVert revealed that there is mutual interest between him and the Cavs on a new deal to keep him with the team.
LeVert is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
LeVert: “The front office has expressed it as well.” Says he understands it’s a business and agent will handle it. #Cavs https://t.co/FlY1PaF4O3
— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) April 27, 2023
Cleveland traded for LeVert during the 2021-22 season, acquiring him from the Indiana Pacers. The former first-round pick played in 19 games for the Cavs that season, and he became a staple in the rotation in the 2022-23 campaign.
LeVert appeared in 74 games this season, making 30 starts for the Cavs. He averaged 12.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and an impressive 39.2 percent from the 3-point line.
During the Cavs’ first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, LeVert was thrust into the starting lineup to replace Isaac Okoro as J.B. Bickerstaff tried to bring more offense to the team’s starting group.
The key for Cleveland will be finding the right price point for LeVert to keep him on the team. Cleveland is already dishing out major money to Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen. The team will also need to extend Evan Mobley down the line.
In a bigger role for the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana in the 2020-21 season, LeVert averaged over 20 points per game, showing that he can be an elite scoring option for the Cavs behind Mitchell and Garland.
The Cavs need all the wing help that they can get after Okoro, Cedi Osman and Danny Green struggled to make an impact on offense in the playoffs against the Knicks.
During the team’s postseason action this season, LeVert played 34.0 minutes per game and averaged 15.0 points per game. He was instrumental in Cleveland’s Game 2 victory over the Knicks, scoring 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field (4-for-9 from beyond the arc).
As the Cavs look to improve their roster this coming offseason, keeping a proven scorer like LeVert could be a wise move.
This past season, LeVert made over $18 million for the Cavs. The two sides will need to come to an agreement that benefits both of them to keep him in Cleveland for next season and potentially beyond.
