Caris LeVert has a mass on the kidney, revealed by MRI after exchange with Pacers; will undergo more tests

James Harden might have thought his trade from the Rockets to the Nets was a godsend. For Caris LeVert, it really could have been.

The Pacers, who acquired LeVert as part of a four-team contract that also includes the Cavaliers, announced on Saturday that the 26-year-old swingman was not yet ready to dress with his new Indiana teammates because an MRI showed a small lump on her left kidney.

Without the trade, LeVert would not have had a physique and would have had this MRI. Now he will undergo further testing to try and resolve this important medical issue.

“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 released by the team. “We are grateful for their extreme thoroughness during the physical process and I look forward to joining the team and being a part of this great organization as soon as possible.

The Pacers deserve some kudos here as well, as they could have used the physical results to scuttle the trade. But that’s not what Indiana was here.

“We acquired Caris because of who he is as a foremost young man,” said Kevin Pritchard, president of basketball operations for Pacers. “His basketball skills and his playing on the court speak for themselves and we know he has a great career ahead of him. We will be supporting Caris during this time and know he will join us on the pitch as soon as he can.

LeVert has had more than his share of health issues in his career, but nothing so scary. His junior and senior seasons in Michigan were cut short by foot and leg injuries; and in 2018 with the Nets, he suffered a dislocated right foot in a frightening incident against the Timberwolves which was feared much worse at the time.

LeVert was able to return later this season, but he was only able to play 60 games in a year once in his career.