Pacers' Caris LeVert suffers stress fracture in back
Indiana Pacers guard Caris LeVert suffered a stress fracture in his back, but the club is optimistic he'll return around the start of the upcoming season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Pacers acquired LeVert last January as part of the James Harden trade. The 27-year-old averaged 20.7 points, 4.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds over 35 games for Indiana last season.
The Pacers have been hit hard at wing ahead of the 2021-22 season. T.J. Warren is sidelined indefinitely with a stress fracture in his foot, and Edmond Sumner is out for the year after tearing his Achilles.
Veteran guard Jeremy Lamb and 2021 first-round pick Chris Duarte will likely see increased roles due to the injuries.
LeVert spent the first four and a half seasons of his career with the Brooklyn Nets. However, the Pacers selected him 20th overall in the 2016 draft before trading him to the Nets for Thaddeus Young.
Indiana finished the 2020-21 season ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 34-38 record. While fans hope to see the franchise improve this coming season, the injuries will make things difficult.
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