Pacers trade LeVert to Cavaliers 90 minutes before tip-off in Cleveland
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Ninety minutes before tip-off between Indiana and Cleveland at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the two teams completed a trade ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.
Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle confirmed the deal, which centers on 27-year-old shooting guard Caris LeVert.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Levert (18.7 ppg) along with a 2022 second-round draft pick are heading to Cleveland in exchange for the Cavaliers 2022 first-round draft pick, the Rockets 2022 second-round draft pick, and the Jazz 2027 second-round pick.
Point guard Ricky Rubio’s expiring contract also is sent to Indiana in the deal, but Rubio suffered a torn ACL on Dec. 29 and is out for the remainder of the season.
LeVert joins a Cavaliers team currently fourth in the East at 32-21, heading for their first postseason berth since LeBron James departed for Los Angeles following the 2017-2018 season.
The 2022 first-round pick acquired by the Pacers is technically lottery-protected, meaning if the Cavaliers suffer a late-season collapse and are eligible for the draft lottery, the Pacers selection would become the Cavaliers 2023 first-round pick.
It is a homecoming for LeVert who now heads to Cleveland, just 2½ hours north of his hometown of Pickerington, Ohio.
It remains to be seen whether the Pacers sell-off will continue ahead of Thursday’s deadline, with center Myles Turner and two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis also being linked to recent trade discussions.
Entering Sunday night, the Pacers (19-35) own the fifth-worst record in the NBA.
The trade deadline is 3 p.m. Thursday.
