Caris LeVert: Trade to Pacers could've possibly saved my life

Indiana Pacers wing Caris LeVert is unsure when he'll take the court with his new team. However, he's very thankful for new beginnings, especially because the trade that sent him from the Brooklyn Nets to the Pacers might have saved his life. 

LeVert underwent a recent MRI that revealed a small mass on his left kidney. If he was never traded, he might have never known it was there because he felt fully healthy.

"I didn't have any symptoms. I was playing in games. I hadn't missed any games this season yet. I was feeling 100 percent healthy," LeVert said, according to ESPN's Eric Woodyard. "So, in a way, this trade definitely showed and revealed what was going on in my body; so I'm definitely looking at it from that side and definitely humbled to know that this trade could've possibly saved me in the long run."

LeVert was included in the four-team trade that sent James Harden from the Houston Rockets to the Nets last week. Before it was finalized, the MRI revealed the mass on the 26-year-old's kidney. 

The Pacers originally selected LeVert in the first round of the 2016 draft before trading him to the Nets. The Ohio native spent five seasons with the Nets, averaging 13.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 43.3% from the field and 34.9% from deep. 

This season, he has taken a tremendous step forward. In 12 games, LeVert is averaging 18.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 43.5% from the field and 34.9% from beyond the arc. 

When LeVert makes his Pacers' debut, he'll wear No. 22, which was last worn by T.J. Leaf.