INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The Indiana Pacers took Michigan forward Caris LeVert with the No. 20 pick in the NBA draft Thursday night and will send him to the Brooklyn Nets to complete a trade for forward Thaddeus Young.
The deal was known publicly a few hours before the draft, but won’t be officially announced until after the new salary cap takes effect.
Indiana still has a second-round pick to make Thursday, No. 50 overall.
Last season at Michigan, the 6-foot-7 LeVert averaged 16.5 points and 5.3 rebounds but only played in 15 games because of injuries.
With the Pacers transitioning to a smaller, faster style, team president Larry Bird wanted someone who could make an immediate impact. LeVert, like most rookies, probably would have needed time to adjust to the NBA game, so Bird made the deal.
What the Pacers are getting in Young is a known commodity.
The 6-foot-8, 221-pound power forward has averaged 13.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in seven NBA seasons and is coming off the most productive season. With Brooklyn in 2015-16, he averaged 15.1 points and 9.0 rebounds.
Bird is finally getting what he wants in another major offseason overhaul.
After letting Frank Vogel depart when his contract expired and promoting Nate McMillan from associate head coach to succeed Vogel, Bird sent combo guard George Hill to Utah and acquired former All-Star Jeff Teague in a three-team deal that finally gave Indiana the natural point guard it has spent years searching for.
On Thursday, Bird filled the Pacers second big need – an athletic power forward who can defend and rebound.
He also has four players, including starting center Ian Mahinmi, ready to hit the free-agent market and is projected to have about $42 million to work with before the luxury tax kicks in.
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