Cleveland Cavaliers

Caris LeVert put on a show while dropping 42 points during Friday's loss to the Chicago Bulls.

It turns out that's reportedly his final game for the Indiana Pacers.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Pacers are trading LeVert and the 2022 second-round pick they had from the Miami Heat to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ricky Rubio, a lottery-protected 2022 first-round draft pick, a 2022 second-round draft pick via the Houston Rockets and a 2027 second-round draft pick via the Utah Jazz.

According to Spotrac, the Cavaliers now have $134.4 million in total cap allocations, while the Pacers check in at $136.7 million in total cap allocations.

Here is a look at Cleveland's overall roster and a projected starting lineup:

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Roster

Jarrett Allen, C

Caris LeVert, G

Ed Davis, C/PF

Darius Garland, G

Brandon Goodwin, G

Kevin Love, F/C

Lauri Markkanen, F/C

Evan Mobley, C

RJ Nembhard Jr., G

Isaac Okoro, F/G

Cedi Osman, F

Kevin Pangos, G

Rajon Rondo, G

Collin Sexton, G

Lamar Stevens, F

Dean Wade, F/C

Dylan Windler, G/F

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Projected Starters

PG: Darius Garland

SG: Caris LeVert

F: Isaac Okoro

F: Evan Mobley

C: Jarrett Allen

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Here is a look at the Pacers' overall roster and a projected starting lineup when Domantas Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon and Myles Turner are healthy and return:

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Roster

Goga Bitadze, C/F

Ricky Rubio, G

Oshae Brissett, F/G

Malcolm Brogdon, G

Torrey Craig, F

Chris Duarte, G

Justin Holiday, F/G

Isaiah Jackson, F

Jeremy Lamb, G/F

T.J. McConnell, G

Reggie Perry, F/C

Domantas Sabonis, F/C

Lance Stephenson, F

Keifer Sykes, G

Terry Taylor, F

Myles Turner, C/F

T.J. Warren, F

Duane Washington Jr., G

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Projected Starters

PG: Malcolm Brogdon

SG: Chris Duarte

SF: Justin Holiday

PF: Domantas Sabonis

C: Myles Turner

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While there are plenty of moving parts in this trade, LeVert is the main piece.

This further signals that the Cavaliers are serious about contending in the Eastern Conference as one of the biggest pleasant surprises in the league. They are 32-21, which is good enough for the No. 4 seed in the standings and just 1.5 games behind the top-seeded Miami Heat.

They are also playing without the injured Collin Sexton, making their play all the more impressive as they battle for positioning in a loaded and tight East.

Sexton's injury makes the acquisition of LeVert all the more important, as he represents another scorer who can play off the ball alongside Garland and take advantage of the spacing created by the litany of bigs Cleveland can put on the court at one time between Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen.

Expecting him to drop 40-plus points like he did in Friday's game is likely asking too much, but the Michigan product is averaging 18.7 points, 4.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from three-point range.

He can take the scoring pressure off Garland's shoulders on the perimeter, work in pick-and-rolls with the bigs as someone who can handle and distribute as needed, and take over as a primary scorer on nights he is dialed in offensively.

This makes the Cavaliers all the more dangerous for presumed contenders such as the Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.

As for the Pacers, this is shaping up to be a lost season at 19-35.

The draft capital will help accelerate a rebuild, and they are certainly a team to keep an eye on for more potential trades as Thursday's deadline approaches.

Klutch Sports Group announced Saturday that it has brought in Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton as a client.

Welcome @CollinSexton02! #Klutch pic.twitter.com/dcxUDbQ07I

— KLUTCH Sports Group (@KlutchSports) February 5, 2022

Sexton underwent season-ending knee surgery in November, but he is set to become a restricted free agent during the offseason.

Klutch Sports was founded and is run by agent Rich Paul, who represents and is close friends with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.

Paul also represents Anthony Davis, Zach LaVine, Ben Simmons, Draymond Green, Lonzo Ball and Anthony Edwards, among other NBA stars.

The 23-year-old Sexton is a four-year NBA veteran who was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2018 draft.

Sexton averaged over 20 points per game during both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, including a career-high 24.3 points per game last season to go along with 4.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 three-pointers made per contest.

In 11 games this season before undergoing surgery, Sexton was averaging 16.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 three-pointer made per game, while shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 24.4 percent from beyond the arc.

While Sexton is a young, dynamic offensive guard, it is fairly clear that he has fallen behind Darius Garland in the Cavs' backcourt pecking order.

Garland, who was the No. 5 pick in 2019, is averaging 19.8 points, 8.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 three-pointers made and 1.2 steals per game this season, and he has been named an All-Star for the first time.

Even without Sexton for most of the season, the Cavaliers have been one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, as they entered play Saturday in third at 32-21.

It represents a huge leap forward for a team that hasn't reached the playoffs since LeBron left for the Lakers in free agency in 2018.

Cleveland has an impressive young core of Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, and it is possible the front office doesn't view Sexton as part of the team's future.

Sexton figures to have plenty of suitors as a restricted free agent, and Klutch Sports could help him get the best possible deal regardless of whether the Cavs re-sign him.

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost starting point guard Collin Sexton to a torn meniscus in November.

On Wednesday, The Athletic's Kelsey Russo reported that the NBA granted Cleveland a disabled player exception worth $3.17 million because of Sexton's season-ending injury. Russo noted that the deadline to use the DPE to sign a replacement player is March 10.

Sexton suffered the injury in Cleveland's win over the New York Knicks on Nov. 7 and he underwent surgery on Nov. 17. Last week, Sexton told Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor that he's "on schedule" with his rehab, and he expressed optimism for a potential return if the Cavaliers advance to the postseason.

"When my body tells me I’m at a good place and a good time, that’s when I’m going to give it a go," Sexton told Fedor. "I feel good physically as well as mentally. I’m excited to see what happens the next couple of months and see where it goes."

At the time of his injury, Sexton was Cleveland's leading scorer at 16.0 points per game.

The Cavaliers have been perhaps the biggest surprise in the league this season, ranking fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 31-20 record. Cleveland has made an incredible leap on defense and leads the league in opponents' scoring average at 102.2 points.

In Sexton's absence, third-year point guard Darius Garland has taken over the reins and is in the midst of a career year. He leads the team with career highs of 19.8 points and 8.2 assists. Rookie big man Evan Mobley has also been one of the best first-year players in the league with 14.8 points and 8.1 rebounds in 43 games so far.

The Cavaliers are in action Wednesday in a road matchup against the Houston Rockets (14-36).

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love was a hero to one man in the community for much more than his impressive play on the court this season.

P.J. Ziegler of WJW Channel 8 reported Monday that Love helped save the life of Harley, the emotional support dog for Bob Flor Jr. The miniature pinscher suffered four fractured ribs, two lost teeth and injuries to her eye and nose during a hit-and-run.

Love saw Harley on the road near the Cavaliers facility, stopped traffic and helped rescue her.

"Because of him, really saved my dog," Flor said.

So thankful Harley made it safely back home ♥️♥️♥️ https://t.co/aTWBA6MhoE

— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) February 1, 2022

Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal noted dogs are near to Love's heart, and he often posts pictures of the one he shares with fiancee Kate Bock. He has also discussed how walking with his dog, Vestry, helps him keep a clear mind.

On the court, Love is averaging 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game for a resurgent Cavaliers team that is 31-20 and in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.       

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland has been ruled out for Monday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to lower back soreness, according to team sideline reporter Serena Winters.

Garland hasn't missed a game since a Jan. 2 win over the Indiana Pacers.

According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Garland is considering day-to-day and could also miss Wednesday's game against the Houston Rockets. 

Garland initially injured his back around three weeks ago and hurt it again during the second half of Wednesday's win over the Milwaukee Bucks. According to Fedor, the 2019 fifth overall pick has insisted his back is "fine."

According to Fedor, forward Cedi Osman will get the start on Monday in place of Garland. The team could also use Rajon Rondo to carry the load. 

Garland is in the midst of his best season in the NBA, averaging a career-high 19.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the floor and 36.9 percent from deep. 

The Cavs entered Monday fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 30-20 record. They can't afford to have Garland miss too many games or else they could fall outside of a top-six seed. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers might have eyes for Boston Celtics veteran point guard Dennis Schroder ahead of the Feb. 10 NBA trade deadline.

"Today they were granted a $9 million disabled-player exception by the league for the Ricky Rubio season-ending ACL. They can use that to trade for a player with one year left on his contract," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Thursday on NBA Today (5:38 mark). "League executives believe a main target for that will be Dennis Schroder, who fits into that trade exception. Such a trade would potentially take the Celtics below the luxury tax and he could help [the Cavs] on the perimeter."

Windhorst added that another potential target could be Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon.

At 30-19, the Cavaliers currently sit third in the Eastern Conference standings and look primed to make a serious playoff push this season behind young stars Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen. 

But the Cavs need reinforcements on the perimeter, with Rubio out for the season and Collin Sexton (meniscus tear) out for the foreseeable future. 

The latter is hoping to make a return in time for the playoffs. 

"When I'm feeling 100 percent and when my body tells me I'm ready," Sexton told Mark Inabinett of Alabama.com on Tuesday about his potential timetable for a return. "When my body tells me I'm at a good place and a good time, that's when I'm going to give it a go. ... When we make the postseason, we will see. Definitely, we'll see."

The Cavaliers likely will operate under the assumption that Sexton won't be able to return until next season, however. That makes a player like Schroder a logical target. 

While the Celtics (25-24, eighth in the East) find themselves in a fight themselves for a postseason berth, Schroder is a player who could become available. The veteran point guard is under contract for just one season, and the Celtics already have $141.7 million on the books for next season on the active roster cap, per Spotrac. 

That makes it highly unlikely the Celtics will have any cap space to match the potential offers Schroder will receive as a free agent. Trading him before the deadline, however, would allow the Celtics to get assets in return rather than losing him for nothing come the summer. 

And the Celtics would still have Marcus Smart and Payton Pritchard to handle the point. 

The 28-year-old Schroder is having a solid season for the Celtics, averaging 15.4 points and 4.6 assists in 31.1 minutes per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three. At his current salary ($5.9 million), he's the type of player who should receive a ton of interest from prospective suitors.

The Cavs would be a logical fit in that regard, with their own first-round pick and two second-round selections to dangle in a deal. Making a run at Schroder makes a lot of sense for Cleveland. 

Sometimes after a long night of playing professional basketball for an NBA team, you just want to kick back with some chicken wings to relax. 

Ah, but you have your postgame media obligations to attend to, so what to do? Well, if you're Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, you just bring those wings to the press conference:

Giannis really brought a bucket of wings to the postgame presser & started chowing down. 🤣🍗 pic.twitter.com/Eurg1kSl0E

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 27, 2022

Look, nobody's going to tell a two-time MVP and the defending champion to wait a few minutes before chowing down.

He did his part in the team's 115-99 loss to the up-and-coming Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, scoring 26 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field to go along with nine rebounds, three assists and a steal. 

"This is not the Cleveland we knew over the past few years," Antetokounmpo told reporters after the loss. "They have a good team, and we have to respect them more. They're a playoff team, and are fighting for the title themselves."

So yeah, maybe Giannis was eating his feelings a little bit after not only losing but being on the end of this Evan Mobley highlight:

Evan Mobley SLAMS it on Giannis 😤 https://t.co/qAqJKotBZw

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 27, 2022

Let the man eat his wings. It was a tough night.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have promoted Shelly Cayette to the positions of executive vice president and chief operating officer.

She's the first Black woman to serve as the COO of an NBA team.

"Look, I've got to tell you — part of me would like to see the day when I'm not making history," Cayette told Joe Scalzo of Crain's Cleveland Business. "It's nice to know that I'm the first, but hopefully I can open doors so there aren't any more firsts. The goal is to do away with firsts."

Cleveland Cavaliers promote Shelly Cayette-Weston to executive vice president and chief operating officer, per @sbjsbd.

She is the first Black woman to hold this role with an NBA team 👏 @HighlightHER

(via @cavs) pic.twitter.com/9mwUKMEs8z

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 26, 2022

Joining the organization in 2012, she was previously Cleveland's senior vice president of global partnerships. Her work there helped her earn a place in Sports Business Journal's Forty Under 40 list for 2021.

Cayette's COO duties will extend beyond the Cavaliers. She will also have oversight of the Cavs' NBA G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge, and their NBA 2K League franchise, Cavs Legion GC.