Pacers guard Caris LeVert will be sidelined indefinitely after an MRI found that he has a small mass on his left kidney, according to a statement from the team. More medical tests will be conducted and details will be released as needed, per the Pacers.
“On behalf of my family and myself, we want to thank the Indiana Pacers for their support and guidance,” LeVert said. “We are grateful for their extreme thoroughness during the physical process.” (Twitter link)
LeVert was part of this week’s four-team deal that sent James Harden to Brooklyn, and the mass was discovered during a physical that was required for the trade to be completed, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link). The medical issue delayed the deal, which wasn’t officially finalized until today.
Indiana could have opted to void the trade, but chose to accept additional compensation in the form of a 2024 second-round pick and cash. That indicates a level of trust that LeVert will eventually be OK physically, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (via Twitter).
“His basketball skill and on court play speaks for itself and we know he has a great career ahead of him,” Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a statement. “We will support Caris through this time and know that he will join us on the court as soon as he is able.”
Pritchard will address the situation further in a media session later tonight, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files.
LeVert, 26, was a first-round pick in 2016 and had spent his entire career with the Nets. He was averaging 18.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 12 games this season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
And here is why rockets shifted to oladipo fast
Not sure rockets did a physical on LeVert so how would they have known?
If that were true, the Rockets would be omniscient…and we definitely know that isn’t true.
I’m sure it has more to do with the fact that Oladipo is a free agent after the season and LeVert is under contract for multiple year making 17.5 million next season and 18.8 million the year after.
yeah—— Vic never had a major muscle rip off the bone
Lmao because the Nets and Rockets knew LeVert had a small mass forming on his kidney, didn’t tell him, and then tried to sneak that through a trade knowing the Pacers would be subjecting him to an intensive physical?
Tatsumaki, each of your posts is less connected to reality than the last.
Wow… So you’re saying Brooklyn knew that and still had him playing?
Actually the blame falls on nets. Not rockets
If that were the case the Nets and Rockets front office guys would be in jail. Literally.
You think they put sports executives in jail for dishonesty?
Dishonesty to a player on his health condition cetianly can.
it is still just about money … Pacers would have block the deal knowing this… Hope the mass turn not into cancer
Um… it’s a physical required to complete the trade.
He went under complete MRI
Pacers are a nice organization
They’re nice and also trying to build trust in their new player. I’m sure it earned then points in the LeVert family. Still, you don’t usually hear of teams doing such a thorough physical. That is nice.
Hope he recovers.
If anyone who is over 70 years old goes to take MRI, it will be something in kidney, liver, brain, lung or heart
It’s normal
I’m sure we all feel better now ?
How does this trade still go through? Don’t players have to pass physicals anymore?
The Pacers chose to accept the trade with additional compensation. They probably feel he will be okay.
2.6 million and a second is what the Pacers took. Huge gamble. Crazy
Since Pacers accepted after MRI. Should mean it’s not a serious issue. That’s good for LeVert. Two late 2nd rd picks are better than 1. They can always use those in trades. God speed Caris ….
A small mass is found on his kidney and the Pacers doctors, let alone specialists, can determine without further testing that it’s not serious? Sounds like health had very little to do with the Pacers decision as long as a DP and 2.7 million came along
I hope for the best for Caris and am grateful for his years on the Nets. It’s ironic that he landed with the team whose pick was used to draft him, but I believe this was structured as a secondary trade. It was not part of the main Harden trade, so I don’t think the whole trade could’ve been killed by that physical.
I guess I was wrong. They restructured it as a 4-team trade and Pacers got $2.7M from the Nets towards LeVert’s salary…
It also reduces Houston’s TPE from $15.5M to less than $11M.