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NBA Analyst Reveals 1 Trade Still Haunting Cavaliers in 2026
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- NBA Analyst Reveals 1 Trade Still Haunting Cavaliers in 2026
(USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect)
In February 2022, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded Ricky Rubio, a lottery-protected first-round pick and two second-round picks to the Indiana Pacers for Caris LeVert.
NBA analyst Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report believes that 2022 trade still haunts the Cavaliers in 2026.
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"It was a reasonable enough wager, and you could argue LeVert lived up to his end of the deal across parts of four seasons in Northeast Ohio," Buckley wrote. "His play style wasn't super compatible with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, though, and the price wound up being higher in hindsight. Because one of those second-round picks became Andrew Nembhard, a two-way contributor and rock-solid starter, and the first landed Ben Sheppard, a 6'6" guard with encouraging three-and-D flashes."
LeVert appeared in 199 regular-season games with the Cavaliers. He averaged 12.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.
In 16 playoff games with Cleveland, LeVert put up 11.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
The Cavaliers went 124-75 in the regular season and 6-10 in the playoffs during the LeVert era. The small forward plays for the Milwaukee Bucks now. He hasn't appeared in a game this season yet.
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Cleveland could have used those draft picks to acquire more talent around Donovan Mitchell. Instead, they betted on LeVert to be the missing piece for a championship run and the bet failed.
The Cavaliers made the Eastern Conference Finals last season. They got swept by the New York Knicks.
After failing to get LeBron James, who signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland acquired Peyton Watson from the Denver Nuggets in a sign-and-trade deal. On paper, the Cavaliers' starting lineup of James Harden, Mitchell, Watson, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen can go toe-to-toe with anyone.
Cleveland is 4-2 through six games. Mitchell leads the wine and gold in scoring. The All-Star shooting guard is averaging 22.7 points per game and shooting 48.9% from the field, 37.8% from beyond the arc and 88.2% from the free-throw line.
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Mitchell, Mobley and Allen have never been to the NBA Finals, while 2012 was the first and only time Harden reached the NBA Finals. It will be fascinating to see if the Cavaliers can reach the promised land this season.
Monday is a big game for Cleveland, as the Oklahoma City Thunder are in town. The Thunder won the 2025 championship in seven games against the Indiana Pacers. They have arguably the best player in the NBA: two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
To upset the Thunder, Mitchell and Co. have to contain Gilgeous-Alexander, who is averaging 26.0 points per game this season.
