Trade rumors are something that almost all pro athletes have to deal with at one point or another. Nets guard Caris LeVert, who looks to be a budding star in Brooklyn, is no stranger to such talks.
After all, the 26-year-old clearly has plenty of value, as he’s increased his scoring in every one of his seasons and pushed his numbers up to 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists last year in Brooklyn, often shouldering much of the offensive load for the Nets as Kevin Durant missed the entire season and Kyrie Irving played just 20 games due to injury issues.
So with rumors coming from every corner of the internet about the Nets looking into a deal for a third star to add to KD and Kyrie – with Houston’s James Harden as the biggest name on the rumor mill—LeVert is doing his best to keep those distractions at a minimum.
“It’s part of the business. They tell you that from Day 1 coming into it. Nobody is irreplaceable, so guys get moved every single year,” LeVert said Thursday as he met with reporters. “For us, we just have to be prepared for any situation.
“I try not to pay attention to it, but it’s kind of hard when you turn on TV and see certain things, when you turn on your social media and see certain things, but I just worry about the team, myself, putting in work every day and trying to maximize my potential and what I have going on.
And for the Michigan product who was originally selected 20th overall in 2016, the best way to block out all the noise is to focus on improving his own game.
“For me, I kind of just focus on the work that I’m putting in, just kind of try to stay consistent with my routine that I do every single day, and just try to block everything else out, and whatever happens, happens at the end of the day,” LeVert said.
“Whatever happens, it was meant to be and it will happen that way, so I don’t stress myself out over it.”
But the Nets also value the shooting guard very much, as he inked a three-year $52.5 million extension with the team in August 2019. In his own right, LeVert is a great complement to Irving in the backcourt, providing the Nets with athleticism at the two-guard spot, while increasing his three-point shooting percentage to 36.4 percent last season.
Anything can happen in the NBA, though, as the Rockets traded superstar Russell Westbrook to Washington for John Wall and a first-rounder on Wednesday.
LeVert explained that he has a great relationship with Nets GM Sean Marks, and he believes the team will be open and honest with him about all potential moves.
“I talked to Sean a lot, though, a couple times a week. Those things definitely come up, and he’s an open book, honestly, when it comes to that type of stuff,” LeVert said. “Me and him have a great relationship, so if something does happen, I feel like I’ll know about it. I feel like he’ll tell me, but other than that, we’re kind of just focused on what we have going on right now.”