Indiana Pacers forward Caris LeVert will be out indefinitely after an MRI revealed a small mass in his left kidney, the team announced Saturday.
The mass was found during a physical examination before the Pacers completed the transaction to acquire LeVert. It will undergo further testing.
“On behalf of my family and myself, we would like to thank the Indiana Pacers for their support and guidance,” LeVert said in a statement. “We are grateful to you for your extreme thoroughness in the physical process and I look forward to joining the team and being part of this great organization as soon as possible.”
The Pacers announced that they had acquired LeVert and cash from the Brooklyn Nets as part of the four-team trade that Victor Oladipo sent to the Houston Rockets. The Pacers also received a future second round pick from Houston and a future second round pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the deal.
“We acquired Caris because he is primarily a young player,” said the Pacers president of basketball operations. Kevin Pritchard, it’s a statement. “Her basketball skills and playing on the court speak for themselves and we know she has a great career ahead of her. We will support Caris during this time and we know she will be on the court with us as soon as possible.”
The news became official after a Pacers workout on Saturday in Los Angeles. The Pacers’ coach, Nate bjorkgren, confirmed that LeVert is currently off the team, but said he is “excited” to be working with LeVert.
“Obviously I know him well. Last year I played him in the first round of the playoffs, where he was very difficult to handle,” said Bjorkgren, a former Toronto Raptors assistant. “Very good player and very dynamic so I watched him a lot, trained against him and now look forward to having him on our team.”
LeVert, 26, has averaged 18.5 points and six assists in 27.8 minutes per game this season.