On Saturday the news was made official, after almost four days of reporting, that a four-team trade that sent Victor Oladipo to Houston and brought 26-year-old guard Caris LeVert from the Brooklyn Nets to the Indiana Pacers was made effective. Upon arrival LeVert submitted himself to the standard physicals required after a trade and an MRI revealed a small mass on LeVert’s left kidney.
After the mass was identified every team involved in the deal, team doctors, LeVert’s people, and the Pacers organization had long conversations to discuss the medical results. In the end the Indiana Pacers elected to go through with the trade and stand by Caris LeVert as he goes through treatment. “This organization’s going to step up, help him get through this (and) get him on the court,” Pacers President Kevin Pritchard said to the media. “It may not be today that he can help us, but we do believe that he can help us in the not-so-distant future. That’s what got us comfortable. There’s risk. We’re willing to accept that risk. But there’s also a human element” Pritchard went on to say.
In that same media conference Pritchard admitted that there were at least 50 conversations with medical staff and doctors over the last few days but based upon the early diagnosis he felt confident in bringing LeVert to Indiana.
Indiana Pacers statement on Caris LeVert trade
On the Pacers official website, the club officials released a statement regarding the trade and the next steps required by the player.
Caris LeVert is a 26-year-old shooting guard/ small forward, he played 5 seasons with the Brooklyn Nets where he played in 225 games, and has a points per game average of 13.1, 3 blocks per game, and a field goal percentage of .433%. LeVert has steadily improved year after year averaging 18.5 points per game last season.
