Why ex-Piston Tim Hardaway Jr. helped convince Caris LeVert to sign in Detroit

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It wasn't until the "last minute," in his words, that Caris LeVert found out the Detroit Pistons wanted to sign him.

It didn't take long for him to become sold on his new opportunity. It would be a reunion with his former coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, J.B. Bickerstaff. He already knew team president Trajan Langdon from their time with the Brooklyn Nets, where Langdon was in the front office from 2016-19.

A phone call with his former Michigan teammate, Tim Hardaway Jr., sealed the deal.

"I talked to Tim probably the morning before I signed," LeVert told reporters at the team's practice facility in New Center on Monday, July 28. "We talked on FaceTime for a while. He was just telling me how great everybody was here, just reassuring me, letting me know that it’s a great organization, great people, obviously great players. He was definitely someone who I leaned on for this decision."

LeVert, who the Pistons signed to a two-year, $29 million contract in early July, is arriving into a familiar environment despite it being his first time with the franchise. He had a standout four-year career with the Michigan Wolverines from 2012-16 and was named second-team All-Big Ten in 2014. He's also reuniting with Duncan Robinson, who played for Michigan from 2015-18 after transferring from Division III Williams College.

"Duncan is like family," LeVert said." I’ve known Duncan since 2014. We played together at Michigan, we’ve stayed close for this long time since then. He’s had an amazing career up to this point, especially me knowing where he’s come from, like a D-III school and then going to Michigan and playing well there and earning his way in Miami. He’s got a really unique story.

"I’m really looking forward to playing with him. Obviously when you go into a new place and you know people it makes the transition a little bit easier for you."

The Indiana Pacers selected LeVert 20th overall before trading him to the Brooklyn Nets, where LeVert spent his first five seasons. He was then traded to the Pacers ahead of the 2021 trade deadline, where he played for a year before they traded him to the Cavaliers in 2022. LeVert played under Bickerstaff in Cleveland for three years, and credits him for getting him to buy into the defensive end of the floor.

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LeVert has earned a reputation as a reliable shot-maker and playmaker, and he brings size on defense standing 6 feet 6. He's excited to reunite with Bickerstaff and looks back fondly on his time with the Cavaliers.

"JB brought out a different part of my game and I’ve always said that once I went to Cleveland I was asked to play defense and before then I wasn’t really asked to play defense," he said. "I think that’s one of the stronger parts of my game now, and I think that’s because of how we played and just the importance he placed on it.

"Before I went to Cleveland, before I played under J.B., I was a different player. He challenged me to be a more well-rounded player that I am today. I’m definitely looking forward to this time around, for sure."

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The Cavaliers traded LeVert to the Atlanta Hawks this past deadline. Through both stops last season he averaged 12.1 points, 3.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 46.7% overall and 37.3% from 3. Langdon said he's the type of player that you can "plug-and-play" with anyone thanks to his versatility. The Pistons believe he will take playmaking pressure off of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, and bolster their perimeter defense.

"He can go out there and guard ones, twos and threes," Langdon said July 8. "He can handle, he can be a secondary ballhandler, he can play on, he can play off depending on the lineup. He’s shown that throughout his career and he’s a high-level competitor, worker, easy to play with. He plays an unselfish brand of basketball but he can play off, he can come off down screens, he can come off pick and roll actions, score for himself, create for others. I’m confident J.B.’s gonna find a really good role for him in our system."

LeVert expressed confidence that he will be able to play off of Cunningham and Ivey. He's been asked to play off of star guards in the past, including Trae Young and Donovan Mitchell most recently, and is carrying those experiences with him in Detroit.

"I can play with both of them," he said. "I can complement both of them well. I shoot the ball well, off the ball. I can guard the best perimeter player on the other team. I can take ballhandling responsibilities, I can get them easy shots. I’ve been tasked to play with some really good players in my career and I’ve learned how to play off of them and I’ve learned how to get my game off with them as well. Kinda lean on those experiences."

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