Caris LeVert – Indiana Pacers
Besides Eric Gordon, another scoring wing that could make sense for the Dallas Mavericks is Pacers shooting guard Caris LeVert.
Traded to the Pacers as part of the James Harden to Brooklyn deal a season ago, LeVert has continued to prove that he is a valuable scoring weapon that can be a primary facilitator.
With Indiana this season, Caris LeVert is averaging 17.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals and is shooting 43.6% from the floor. His 31.3% three-point percentage is concerning given that the Mavs need more perimeter shooting threats, but LeVert’s ability to drive to the rim and score is definitely valuable to a Mavericks team that only gets this kind of production from Luka Doncic.
In December, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Pacers would be receptive to trade offers for Caris LeVert, among others, and with the Pacers being just 15-27 on the season, it seems like they will be willing to leverage some assets now for future value.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mavericks Trying To Get Into Trade Mix For Myles Turner, John Collins
Who knows if Dorian Finney-Smith would be of interest to them in the final year of his contract, but he is certainly an affordable two-way wing that could help Indiana in more ways than one.
On the other side of things though, the Mavericks may not be willing to give up Dorian Finney-Smith in trade talks for LeVert because of the fact that Caris LeVert struggles shooting on the perimeter.
So far this season, Finney-Smith has shot 38% from three-point range through 40 games, the highest shooting percentage on the team (min. 100 attempts).
One of the key areas the Mavericks need to try and add value to ahead of the trade deadline is their three-point shooting and by moving Dorian Finney-Smith in a trade package for Caris LeVert, they would be giving up a lot of their limited perimeter production.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mavericks Trying To Get Into Trade Mix For Myles Turner, John Collins
From a scoring perspective and a playmaking perspective, Caris LeVert could really fit in well next to Luka Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr. on the wing, but losing a key three-point shooting in Finney-Smith would really hurt the Dallas Mavericks in this deal.
