Can Caris LeVert fix the Raptors' bench woes?

The Indiana Pacers are reportedly shopping the versatile guard and the Raptors need more playmaking off their bench. Should they take a chance on the 27-year-old? Follow Yahoo Sports Canada for all your Raptors coverage.

Video Transcript

IMMAN ADAN: All right. So someone that you just mentioned, another Indiana Pacer, I don't think that there's any space for Domantas Sabonis being a Raptor. His asking price is even higher than Myles Turner and he just doesn't provide exactly what the Raptors are looking for in terms of-- he's too expensive. But Caris LeVert, someone that you mentioned. Are you interested? What would you be willing to give up for a guy like Caris LeVert? I know that you're already interested in him. I have my questions about adding a guy like that to this team, but let me know what you think.

YASMIN DUALE: Um, yeah. Let's see, I think Chris Boucher-- if they let go of Myles Turner to another team, I feel like Chris Boucher could be an appealing acquisition for the Pacers because they need someone to fill out that center role. So Chris Boucher could be a good piece for them. Goran, perhaps, for salary because I do know that he's making--

IMMAN ADAN: $19 million.

YASMIN DUALE: I'm sorry?

IMMAN ADAN: He's making a little bit more than Caris right now.

YASMIN DUALE: I mean, like, how much is Caris making?

IMMAN ADAN: $17.5.

YASMIN DUALE: Yeah. So I heard that it was more than that. Maybe we have to take something in return as well, which wouldn't be bad. They have so many bench shooting guards that I feel like we could just kind of sneak in and take. But I think I would go as far as trade, perhaps, Gary Trent even for Caris LeVert because Gary, I feel like-- like I said, I feel like his expertise is replaceable on the team, even though what he does has been so helpful for them.

But I feel like the way he Caris can get to the rim is something the Raptors really need right now. And I guess I believe in it a lot because I've seen-- like, I watched the Pacers and I see something really special there and I think that he just doesn't receive enough responsibility. I feel like if you had the responsibility of coordinating the entire bench, it would be really interesting to see. I feel like he has bench mark potential. And he just strikes me as a guy who can win you some games in a series or something, you know what I mean? That's just kind of--

IMMAN ADAN: That hurt my heart when you said Gary. I'm still in shock.

[LAUGHTER]

YASMIN DUALE: I know. I really like Gary.

IMMAN ADAN: He's older, he's--

YASMIN DUALE: He's a couple years older, but like--

IMMAN ADAN: He's, like five or six years older. He's 27.

YASMIN DUALE: Yeah. Yeah. How old is Gary, 23?

IMMAN ADAN: Gary's 22, 23, maybe. He's born in '98 I want to say.

YASMIN DUALE: Yeah. So like 23 or something.

IMMAN ADAN: Yeah, he's a good four years apart. But beyond that, to me, the issue with a guy like Caris LeVert, at least I personally would not mind Caris LeVert depending on the price point. But the problem is he really does require the ball in his hands, whereas Gary--

YASMIN DUALE: Sorry. I feel like that's kind of needed because if you look at the bench unit, no one knows what to do. Like, they rely on like Chris Boucher post-ups a lot of the times. Like, it's like no one wants the ball, even Scotty doesn't quite know what to do in terms of running a unit yet. I feel like Caris is a type of guy who can dribble and make something happen, you know what I mean? It doesn't always have to end in a pick.

IMMAN ADAN: Yeah.

YASMIN DUALE: But when I see-- like, when Siakam and VanVleet sits, it gets really weird out there. Like, I feel like no one really knows what to do. OG can't run on offense yet, even Fred when it comes to running an offense, I feel like if the team has taller defenders, there are issues. Like, he has issues with the entry pass. He has issues with dealing with the height of other players when it comes to playmaking, even though I think he's a playmaker now.

So I feel like it would just bring them over the edge a little bit, bring that playmaking to the bench, someone that can just destabilize the defense a little bit. Because I feel like they have talented cutters on the bench. And I feel like Joanna can really become a talented cutter. And yeah.

IMMAN ADAN: That's fair.

YASMIN DUALE: I won't be disappointed if it won't happen, I don't think it's going to happen, it's just kind of like the idealist in me that I'm like, I could just see it working. So I think this is the vibe, I guess.

IMMAN ADAN: The idea of Gary I wouldn't want to see that. I don't mind Caris LeVert coming in. Because what Gary does, yes, it is the most easily replaceable, but he's not expensive, he's a great off-ball-threat, which is what the Raptors need. He provides shooting. Caris LeVert is not a particularly great 3-point shooter, it's not a particularly good 3-point shooter, he's not even a particularly good catch and shoot guy, which the Raptors-- I think where I'm coming from is I want to watch a lot of those other guys develop as playmakers and I think develop as ball handlers.

And I want the ball in Scotty's hands. Especially with the bench guys, I want the ball in Dolano's hands. I want the ball in Scotty's hands. And I want them to grow with that. And I don't want them bringing in a guy like Caris LeVert really helps with what the future of this Raptors team is, which is 6' 9" guys with the ball in their hands.

And I think if Caris was a better off-ball threat, I would much rather his game. And just looking at this, because I know that you've been a big proponent of this, and I trust your opinions on things. And so, I was really looking into this to see. Because I like Caris LeVert. As Raptor fans, we watched him in a first round series.

YASMIN DUALE: We did, yeah.

IMMAN ADAN: He's good.

YASMIN DUALE: Yeah.

IMMAN ADAN: He's a good player. He's the same age as the Pascal Siakams and the Fred VanVleets, so it's not like he works outside of the Raptor's range right now. But in really just looking at his numbers this season, he's kind of had two different seasons. He's had the pre-TJ McConnell season, and the post-TJ McConnell injury season.

And prior to that when, he did have to play more off-ball, I think his averages were 13, 3, and 3 on just abysmal shooting. He shot under 30% from deep, 40% from the floor. And then post the TJ McConnell injury, he's averaging over 21 points, he's averaging over 5 assists a game.

YASMIN DUALE: Yeah.

IMMAN ADAN: And he's shooting great. I want to see Scotty, I want to see OG, and I want to see these other guys have the additional responsibility, and we just have yet to see a Caris LeVert be a good side piece, right? Like, he couldn't do that with the Brooklyn Nets, he can't do that with the Indiana Pacers, he needs the ball in his hands to operate. And if we can't maximize his value, I just don't know that his fit with the Raptors is all that great.

YASMIN DUALE: Yeah, it's not. It's going to be something that they're going to have to restructure around a little bit. I just like the-- I feel like there's something lacking.

IMMAN ADAN: That's fair.

YASMIN DUALE: I know you see it too. There's something lacking in terms of creation with the bench unit, you know? They just seem a little lost. I'm not sure how they quell that, if they're going to bank on the development of people like Scotty to run those bench units when some of the playmaking starters sit, or if they're going to actually just replace the playmaking altogether. I can see them going with the former, like Scotty has shown already. What is he averaging? Almost 4 assists right now?

IMMAN ADAN: I think so.

YASMIN DUALE: Yeah, as like the third offensive playmaking option on the court. So that's already impressive. He's averaging more assists than Bam. He's already shown that he can make something happen. Yeah, maybe you just give him those reps and not stunt his ball handling, his development of playmaker by getting somebody who's already going to eat up those usage minutes. So yeah. No, I can see that. I can see them instead opting for, like, even like a Justin Holiday instead one of those Pacers. I feel like he's always cooking us too. Or, as you said, like Aaron Gordon.

IMMAN ADAN: Aaron Gordon, yeah. I kind of like-- I'm kind of in on the Aaron Gordon thing.

YASMIN DUALE: Now that you mention it, and the 45% shooting.