Cleveland ready for the NBA playoffs
The Pacers are 19-36, seven games out of the play-in tourney. Ayo Dosunmu dunked them right into the trade deadline.
HOLY SH*T. AYO DOSUNMU.
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) 2:22 AM ∙ Feb 5, 2022
Not Myles Turner. Or Domantas Sabonis, who returned Sunday to post nine points, 11 rebounds and four assists in a loss to Cleveland.
No, they lost something else to Cleveland.
Full trade: Indiana sends Caris LeVert and a 2022 second-round pick via Miami to Cleveland for Ricky Rubio, lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick via Houston and a 2027 second-round pick via Utah, per sources.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) 9:32 PM ∙ Feb 6, 2022
As it turned out, Caris LeVert (19.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, due $18.8 million next season) had a fine, 74-game stint with the Indiana Pacers. The Cavs are tied with Milwaukee with the NBA’s sixth-best record, it will not be a great pick.
Did Indiana return 2023 (when LeVert is a free agent) trade deadline value in 2022? Maybe the Pacers don’t like his ability to stay on the floor through 2023, maybe grabbing another first-rounder makes it easier to trade literally everything this week.
LeVert’s weirdness with the ball likely won’t tilt the Cavaliers too much.
