The Brooklyn Nets Gave Up This Potential All-Star To The Indiana Pacers To Make Their Big Three Of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving And James Harden Happen
This time last year, the Indiana Pacers had two-time All-Star shooting guard Victor Oladipo, the Brooklyn Nets had Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving's third star dubbed as Caris LeVert and the Houston Rockets still had 2018 MVP James Harden.
A lot has change since last year.
Oladipo has been traded twice (Houston and the Miami Heat), Harden is now part of a big-three of All-Stars with the Nets and LeVert is part of the core of the Pacers.
Nobody is denying the Nets had to make this move to get a superstar like Harden, but just how good can LeVert be?
How lucky did the Pacers get?
Caris LeVert's stats the last three seasons:
2019: 13.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game
2020: 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game
2021: 20.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game
In all three of the major categories he has been on an upward trajectory over the last three years, and is just 26 years old.
The full details of the entire trade that moved all of these players can be seen in a Tweet that is embedded below from Bleacher Report (that was originally reported by The Athletic's Shams Charania back on January 13).
The Pacers found themselves very lucky.
When looking around the NBA, there are not many players that would be LeVert's age, average over 20 points per game last season and be available for a modest price.
The Pacers got LeVert for a player (Oladipo) that was on an expiring contract.
"I'm not sure if anything surprises me anymore in this league," Kevin Pritchard said to AllPacers back in April, laughing when asked if being able to get LeVert was surprising. "I think you've just got to stay prepared as much as you possibly can."
The trade also potentially saved LeVert's life as he had an unknown tumor that had to be removed, and the story on that can be read from Sports Illustrated here.
Right off the bat without a lot of time to gain chemistry LeVert has found himself putting up big numbers next to Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner and Malcolm Brogdon.
He averaged 20.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists in his first 35 games with the Pacers.
Meanwhile, Oladipo spent time in Houston after the trade, but then was sent to the Miami Heat where he got injured during his fourth game with the team and had season-ending surgery.
Oladipo still had a big year from a numbers perspective (19.8 PPG), but has to once again miss a large chunk of time due to injury, and recently agreed to re-sign with the Heat on a minimum contract, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (Tweet below).
As for the Nets, they have Harden who is 31 years old, but is one of the ten best basketball players in the world.
His stats the last two seasons?
2020: 34.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game
2021: 24.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game
He's ridiculous.
The Nets did lose to the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the NBA Playoffs this season, but Harden missed time in the playoffs and so did Irving.
Harden is clearly worlds better than LeVert, and there is a minimal chance that LeVert could ever have a season up to Harden's standards.
Therefore, the Nets made the right move.
That being said, the Pacers still got immensely lucky that they found themselves in this three-team trade, because they were not the ones giving up Harden.
They got a 26 year old potential All-Star who still has not even hit his prime.
There is good reason to believe that LeVert can be an All-Star next season with a full off-season and fully healthy season to gain chemistry with his teammates in Indiana.
His last three seasons of a straight upward trajectory prove that if the trend continues he will be in the 2022 All-Star game.
Some highlights from LeVert's season can be seen embedded below.
He was also very clutch last season.
