CLEVELAND — Caris LeVert, still in street clothes, was walking the wrong way. The Pacers were scheduled to play the Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Sunday, and instead of heading to the court for his usual pregame warmup, LeVert was having a brief heart-to-heart with rookie Chris Duarte as he made his way back to the visiting locker room.
Soon, he’ll be in Cleveland’s locker room.
“In the hallway, he was one the phone and he told me that he love me, and I say, ‘Why would you say that? What’s wrong? And say he leaving, he got traded,” Duarte said. “That’s how I found out.”
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported hours before tipoff Sunday that LeVert, an Ohio native, has been traded in principle to the Cavs in exchange for veteran guard Ricky Rubio, who is out for the year with a torn left ACL and whose contract expires at the end of the season. Indiana will also receive Cleveland’s lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick, a 2022 second-round pick via Houston and a 2027 second-round pick via Utah.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle confirmed that a deal centered around LeVert has been agreed to in principle with the Cavaliers ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, but he did not disclose any other details. He added that LeVert intended to play Sunday, though the Pacers were upfront about the franchise’s latest move.
“Before the deal was consummated, I had Caris in my office here in the arena, and Chad Buchanan, our general manager, was on speaker (phone) with me in the room, Caris in the room, before Cleveland had agreed to the final terms of the deal,” Carlisle said. “We talked to him about the fact that this thing was at the 1-yard line and that it was likely gonna happen.
“We have a very unique situation with our franchise, an agreement between our front office and our players that if a deal like this gets close that they will talk to the player and let him know so he doesn’t see it on social media or something like that.”
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No return flight
LeVert scored a season-high 42 points in a home loss to the Bulls on Friday night, highlighted by a franchise-record 22 points in the first quarter. After LeVert notched the third 40-point game of his career, the Cavs didn’t need an in-person audition. They were already sold, piecing together a deal as he arrived in Cleveland and ensuring that he wouldn’t join Duarte and the rest of his now former teammates on their return flight to Indianapolis.
When Duarte briefly met with LeVert, Duarte had an incredulous look on his face as he raised one side of his black Beats by Dre headphones and exposed one of his ears so that LeVert could break the news to him.
“It’s tough, you know. Caris is a great teammate, a great person,” Duarte said. “I learned a lot from him. He helped me a lot on and off the court. We always talk. I remember I came up to him and ask him about how do you stay confident when things not going well for you? What you do? He was always talking to me. You know, it’s tough, but it’s part of the business. …
“We said that we love each other. He told me that he love me, and I told him that I love him, too.”
LeVert is averaging 18.7 points, 4.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 44.7% from the field, 32.3% on 3-pointers and 76.0% at the free-throw line this season. He will be paired with a promising young core in Cleveland that features first-time All-Star guard and Gary native Darius Garland, standout rookie Evan Mobley and Jared Allen.
Garland was sidelined Sunday due to lower back soreness, but Allen had his way with 15 points and a game-high 17 rebounds to help the Cavs erase a 20-point deficit and roll to a 98-85 victory.
Duarte led Indiana with a team-high 22 points, Duane Washington Jr. had 17 points off the bench and Justin Holiday added 10 points with two 3s.
Unlike Duarte, Holiday said he didn’t have a chance to speak to LeVert after the trade but sent him a text.
“I was like dang you know, ‘You road in on the bus with me,'” Holiday said. “I wanted to at least be able to talk to him, at least tell him whatever I wanted to face-to-face and do all that. But again, sometimes you don’t get that opportunity. Shoot, I’ve been traded in the past, and I never got the opportunity to do that.”
New beginnings
More:What should the Pacers do by the NBA trade deadline? Or better yet, what should we expect?
Carlisle called LeVert “a special player” and commended him for his high character and determination. Just over a year ago, LeVert had a cancerous tumor removed from his left kidney, and he was out at the beginning of this season after sustaining a stress fracture in his back during training camp. LeVert is also one of several Pacers players to miss games after entering the league’s COVID-19 protocols. Now, the former Michigan standout is fully healthy as he begins the next chapter of his career.
“I obviously wish him the best,” Carlisle said. “Cleveland’s in a great position, a game and a half or something like that out of first (place) in the Eastern Conference, and adding a guy like Caris LeVert could very well push them to the top. We wish him well here, and then from here we’re putting together a path forward that is going to be a little bit different after (Sunday).”
The Pacers host the Cavaliers on Friday, which could be LeVert’s first chance to face his former team. Holiday said it’ll be weird to see LeVert in a Cleveland jersey and wants to “beat him,” but it’s no guarantee Holiday will remain with Indiana either.
LeVert’s departure could be the first trade deadline domino to fall for the Pacers, who are reportedly listening to offers about Holiday, league-leading shot blocker Myles Turner and two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis.
“It’s hard to say,” Carlisle said when asked about the likelihood of more in-season trades. ” … It’s a dynamic business. Anything is possible.”
Follow IndyStar Pacers beat writer James Boyd on Twitter: @RomeovilleKid. Reach him via email: jboyd1@gannett.com.
