DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 09: Caris Levert #22 of the Brooklyn Nets plays the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on November 9, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for young NBA star Caris LeVert. The talented wing was included in the four-team deal that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets, landing with the Indiana Pacers, who sent Victor Oladipo to the Houston Rockets to acquire him.
During his physical, the Pacers discovered a “small mass” on LeVert’s left kidney, which is obviously a major concern for the young player. He is being held out for the time being. The Nets sent Indiana an additional second-round pick to complete the trade, and the Pacers were comfortable enough to not blow up the entire deal, which also featured the Cleveland Cavaliers.
LeVert released a statement after the discovery of the mass, but has been pretty quiet since the news. Today, he put out a lengthy post on Instagram, thanking the fans who have wished him well in recent days, thanking the Nets for his time in Brooklyn, addressing the health situation, and expressing his excitement to become a key member for the Pacers.
“First and foremost I just wanna thank u all for the overwhelming amount of positive texts, calls, messages, etc concerning my health,” LeVert wrote. “This past week hasn’t been easy for my family and I but we appreciate the love and support! I’ve been through a lot of adversity and I truly believe this will just be another chapter in my story.”
“To the city of Brooklyn—from my teammates to my coaches to the fans to all the dope people I met during my time in NY..thank y’all for the real love y’all showed, u embraced me my family with opened arms from day 1,” LeVert continued. “You watched me grow each and every year through losses wins injuries and everything in between.”
“…With that being said Pacers I’m extremely excited to start my next chapter and join this storied franchise and city!! I can’t wait to get healthy and get back to work.”
Caris LeVert had a breakout season in 2019-20, averaging a career high 18.7 points, and really excellent in the absence of Kyrie Irving, who went down with a season-ending injury around the middle of the year. He led the team in the NBA Bubble and playoffs. This year, he was off to a similar start, at 18.5 points per game playing alongside Irving and Kevin Durant.
Hopefully he has a quick recovery, and can return and continue to build on that impressive potential.
