Cavaliers Rumors: 'No Rush' to Give Caris LeVert Contract Extension Before Season

After acquiring Donovan Mitchell to boost their backcourt, the Cleveland Cavaliers aren't in a hurry to give Caris LeVert a new contract.

Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Cavs are in "no rush" to work out an extension with the 28-year-old before the start of the season.

LeVert is entering the final season of a contract that will pay him $18.8 million in 2022-23.

The Cavs acquired LeVert from the Indiana Pacers during the season prior to the trade deadline on Feb. 9. He appeared in 19 games after the deal, including 10 consecutive starts to end the season.

Prior to the addition of Mitchell, LeVert probably would have been in line to be the starting shooting guard with Darius Garland running point.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com told Scotto that head coach JB Bickerstaff and his staff are going to use training camp and the preseason to figure out who will start at small forward.

"I believe LeVert’s going to be in that mix," said Fedor. "Before the Mitchell trade, LeVert was penciled in as the starting shooting guard and was going to be a high usage, 30-minute a night kind of guy. If he starts at small forward, then it’s going be less of the ball in his hands and less playmaking, and can he make a big impact on the defensive end of the floor."

Even after trading Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton to get Mitchell from the Utah Jazz, Cleveland still has plenty of depth in its rotation heading into the season.

Third-year forward Isaac Okoro could take a spot in the starting five. LeVert has almost an equal split as a starter and sixth man throughout his NBA career. He has appeared in 318 games, with 180 starts since 2016-17.

LeVert averaged 13.6 points, 3.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game in 19 appearances with Cleveland.

The Cavaliers finished eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 44-38 record last season, but they missed the playoffs with losses to the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks in the play-in tournament.