The Rise of NBA Star Caris LeVert How He Went From Injury to Inspiration in Just a Few Short Years

Cleveland will maintain its backcourt depth with the return of reserve guard Caris LeVert for two seasons at $32 million, per multiple reports.

Additionally, the Cavs agreed to a deal with free-agent swingman Georges Niang, per multiple reports. He reportedly agreed to a three-year, $26 million deal with Cleveland.

Cleveland Cavaliers G Caris LeVert has agreed on a new two-year, $32 million contract, co-head of @CAA_Basketball Austin Brown tells ESPN. LeVert had career highs on three-pointers (127) and makes (39 percent) last season. pic.twitter.com/gercF8u3pq — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2023

Brooklyn Nets Commit Long Term To Caris Levert With A Multi Year Extension

Free agent F George Niang has agreed on a three-year, $26 million contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. Niang leaves Sixers for another Eastern contender. pic.twitter.com/PsF6euvmQV — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2023

LeVert, 28, averaged 12.1 points per game last season, spending most of his time coming off the bench behind Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. He was still the Cavaliers’ fifth-leading scorer, shooting 39.2% from long range while also chipping in 3.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.0 steals per game.

The moves improve the Cavs’ depth and gives them two proven veterans — and in Niang, a solid outside shooter — to go along with their young core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen following a 51-win season.

Caris Levert Trade Keeps Looking Better For Cavaliers

Niang, who played the past two seasons with Philadelphia, will be reunited in Cleveland with Mitchell, his former teammate for three seasons in Utah. Mitchell quickly responded to the Cavs’ move, posting “Minivan, ” Niang’s nickname on his Twitter page.

The 30-year-old Niang also has extensive playoff experience, something in short supply in Cleveland. Niang has played in 46 postseason games. He averaged 8.2 points and 2.4 rebounds for the Sixers last season. He’s also made 40% of his 3-pointers in his career.

Cavs general manager Koby Altman vowed he would not be making “sweeping” changes following Cleveland’s stunning first-round playoff exit. Altman, though, has addressed some major needs for the Cavs, who ended their postseason drought before being bullied and ousted by the New York Knicks in the playoffs.When a player gets injured or misses time, the NBA moves on. It did when Kevin Durant missed a full season. It did when Paul George and Stephen Curry and Victor Oladipo missed significant time.

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The league shouldn’t move on from the Caris LeVert injury. In fact, it should serve as a warning to NBA teams and a blessing to LeVert that the Pacers were diligent in his physical examination following the James Harden trade.

The Nets moved LeVert to the Rockets, who then swapped him to the Pacers for Oladipo. LeVert is considered a rising star, a 26-year-old premium scorer who needed his own team to shine. That wasn’t going to happen in Brooklyn.

But something happened on the way to LeVert become Indiana’s next All-Star. His physical found a spot on his kidney, and it was a major concern.

Pacers Completes Caris Levert Trade Despite 'mass' On Kidney

The Pacers did not call off the trade — the Nets added money into the deal — and Indiana not only decided to keep LeVert but ensure he got the best medical care. On Tuesday, the team announced in a brief statement that LeVert had surgery to treat renal cell carcinoma. LeVert is expected to make a full recovery and return to the court.

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The Pacers understand that LeVert may not return until next season, but the question begs to be asked: What if there was no Harden trade and LeVert kept playing with a cancerous kidney?

Caris Levert Free Agent Profile

“It’s been some trying times for myself and my family, ” LeVert said before the surgery. “From being traded to finding out the news about my body. I’m very grateful for such support I’ve received. It’s definitely been a crazy couple of days. It’s going to be a crazy recovery as well, but I think myself and the Pacers organization is really optimistic about the future.”

LeVert is expected to make a full return, and the diagnosis was a testament to some of the sophisticated medical issues even the finest-conditioned athletes have. LeVert said he had no symptoms. He did not miss a game with the Nets this season. Yet he was playing with a kidney that needed surgery.

“The most important thing is to get my body healthy and live a long life, ” he said. “Making sure I’m good health-wise is most important. I’ve been through a lot, not only with basketball but life in general. It was tough news to get, but it could always be worse. I didn’t have any symptoms. I was playing in games. I was 100 percent healthy. This trade could have possibly saved me.”

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The Pacers could have rescinded the trade but didn’t. Team president Kevin Pritchard said LeVert was sought-after for years and, when they found his condition could be treated, they stuck to their convictions.

“We huddled 50 times with our doctors and we’re comfortable with it, ” Pritchard said. “Modern medicine is incredible. We felt like there is an opportunity to tell a great story and have a great story. We look at character. Character means a lot for us. There were some moments where we could have bowed out, said no chance. [Owner Herb Simon] stuck in there and said, ‘Let’s see this through.’ ”

Said LeVert: “I didn’t know if the trade was going to go through, but it did and that’s a testament to the organization.”

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The hope is LeVert turns into a franchise cornerstone. Pritchard said he saw an opportunity to acquire a rising star in exchange for a player who made intimations that he wanted out in Oladipo.

“This was a very unique trade; it had its ups and downs, ” Pritchard said. “This organization is going to step up, help him through this, and we’re super confident that we’re going to have him on the court. We’ve had him on our radar for a long time. We’ve tried to get him in the past.”

“This does not get found out until a detailed physical happened, ” Pritchard said. “I got two texts from doctors and they told me they had never seen a kid as optimistic and ready to jump in it and get it taken care of.”

Why Nba Teams Should Take A Chance On Caris Levert Despite Injury History

Bradley Beal is leading the NBA in scoring, but the Wizards are 3-12 and have the worst record in the league.Nick Wass/Associated Press

The best way to describe the Wizards season so far is disastrous. When the team acquired Russell Westbrook for John Wall last month, it was supposed to result in a legitimate playoff run for a franchise that hasn’t been to the conference finals in 42 years.

The rebuilding years in Washington were supposed to be over, with Westbrook and Bradley Beal catapulting the team to respectability. Instead, the Wizards have been besieged with COVID-19 cases, Westbrook has been erratic at best, and Beal is putting up big numbers — in big losses.

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Beal is averaging an obscene 34.7 points per game, but the Wizards are a league-worst 3-12 and Beal is beginning to show major disappointment after each loss. When the Wizards faced the Rockets on Tuesday, with Wall angry at his former team and wanting to prove the trade was a mistake, Houston pulled away to a 19-point victory in the final four minutes.

The next night in New Orleans, Beal scored 47 points and the Wizards lost by 18 points. The issue is Beal has been greatly let down by his supporting cast.

Westbrook is averaging a near triple-double (18.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 9.6 assists) but is shooting a career-low 38.1 percent from the field. The issue is Westbrook can no longer shoot or finish like he once did. He is shooting 39.7 percent on 2-point shots. By comparison, Westbrook shot 51.4 percent from 2-point range last season.

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When Westbrook can’t consistently score at the rim or shoot jumpers, more pressure is on Beal. Also, Westbrook is still playing carelessly — 5.0 turnovers per game — which would be the most in the NBA, if he qualified.

Also, the Wizards had seven consecutive games postponed because of players in COVID-19 protocol, which has hampered development. This was supposed to be a breakout season for second-year forward Rui Hachimura, but he’s played in just half of the games. Davis Bertans, who signed a lucrative extension, is supposed to be the team’s 3-point marksman, but he is shooting just 33.7 percent from beyond the arc.

The Wizards were able to acquire former lottery pick Jerome Robinson (a former Boston College standout) and draft Troy Brown, but neither are consistently in coach Scott Brooks’s rotation. So the Wizards have essentially become Beal and the Disappointments.

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Brooks is on the coaching hot seat, but it would be unfair to make a move now because the team has been riddled with COVID-19 cases. Yet, changes have to be made.

Beal is contractually obligated to the Wizards through the 2021-22 season with a player option at $37 million for 2022-23. He is obviously the team’s

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