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NBA Veteran Reveals Honest Mindset Joining Detroit Pistons

Caris LeVert spoke about joining the Detroit Pistons this week.
Apr 11, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Caris LeVert (3) passes the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Apr 11, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Caris LeVert (3) passes the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

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The 2025 NBA free agency period didn’t go the way many expected it to for the Detroit Pistons.

Players who were expected to return found new homes—or remained available. As a result, the Pistons had to bring in some new replacements on the fly. Former Atlanta Hawks forward Caris LeVert confirmed he was a late target for Detroit.

“I got word that the Pistons were interested in me, I think kind of last-minute, really,” LeVert told reporters.

Despite being a late target, LeVert didn’t have any hard feelings. The veteran looks forward to playing for the Pistons in 2025-2026.

“I’m a big fan of the culture here. I played for JB [Bickerstaff] for three years. I’m a big fan of a lot of the guys on the team. I’m a big fan of how they work, how they play, how competitive they are. I think they've got really high-character guys in the organization,” he added.

“Trajan [Langdon] was with me in Brooklyn. There’s a connection there as well. Obviously, a lot of the staff is in Cleveland. I’m super excited to be back here playing [in Michigan] and playing for this team. I’m super excited.”

Before LeVert entered the NBA in 2016 as a first-round selection, he played his college hoops at Michigan. After his run at Michigan, LeVert was selected in the first round and ended up on the Brooklyn Nets.

Caris LeVer
Apr 2, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Caris LeVert (3) looks to shoot as Dallas Mavericks forward Caleb Martin (16) defends during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

At this point, the Pistons have become LeVert’s fifth team since entering the league. He spent his first five seasons with the Nets. During the second half of the 2020-2021 season, LeVert landed with the Indiana Pacers. Halfway through the following season, he was dealt away to Cleveland.

LeVert played a key role for the Cavs for two full seasons. Last year, LeVert was traded after 38 matchups. He ended up on the Atlanta Hawks for his final 26 games.

With the Hawks, LeVert averaged 15 points, three assists, and four rebounds per game. He shot 34 percent from three and knocked down 48 percent of his field goals, marking a career high.


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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