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) February 6, 2022
1. As a Knicks fan watching this team sit at the 12th seed for so long, I don’t trouble myself with looking below them in the standings but wow, Indiana STINKS this season.
2. A team consisting of Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis, Chris Duarte, Caris LeVert and Malcolm Brogdan shouldn’t be this bad but shout out to Rick Carlise for winning a championship over a decade ago and being treated like royalty for life.
3. LeVert had no desire to be in Indiana and played as such.
4. Exhibit A:
This is the epitome of the LeVert experience this season. Makes the zero-pass shot, but has no interest in running the offense as intended.
Note the reactions from Duarte and Carlisle when he keeps on what should’ve been a wing hand-off followed by a ball screen. pic.twitter.com/Y0JfHXsig9
— Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) February 3, 2022
5. When your team sucks, it’s understandable to ignore play calls and just try to get buckets because the stakes are super low. What’s going to happen? We lose? We were going to do that anyway.
6. With the emergence of Darius Garland this season as the primary ballhandler in Cleveland, Ricky Rubio had become obsolete.
7. Rubio walks out of the airport and instantly becomes the most handsome man in Indiana.
8. Cleveland needed LeVert’s ability to get to the rim. The team ranks 21st in drives to the rim and Levert ranks 10th in number of drives this season. A hole in their game has immediately been cemented over.
9. The problem with Cleveland is there’s a new odd man out: Collin Sexton.
10. Doubtful they’ll make a move before the deadline but this summer it’s safe to assume Sexton won’t be on the roster next season.
11. Love Cleveland bringing together the 2018 Brooklyn Nets. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is currently playing in Turkey so they can probably scoop him up for the low if Rodions Kurucs isn’t answering their calls.
12. As far as the Pacers go, not sure how this helps the rebuild in Indiana. Can’t imagine the lottery-protected pick will help them much but not having LeVert on the court doing whatever the fuck he wants is a good thing.
13. Safe to say, Sabonis and Myles Turner are out of here next.
14. Apparently Rajon Rondo is on the Cavs too. Good for him.
