Caris Levert was acquired by Detroit July 8, 2025.
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DETROIT — Caris LeVert couldn’t help but crack a smile Monday evening as he reflected on his time playing under J.B. Bickerstaff with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bickerstaff required LeVert to do something none of his previous NBA coaches had, though it might seem like a prerequisite throughout the association.
“J.B. 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,” LeVert said with a laugh, as he addressed local reporters at the Detroit Pistons’ practice facility. “Before then, I wasn’t really asked to play defense, and I think that’s one of the stronger parts of my game now. Those things really helped me take my game to the next level.
“Before I went to Cleveland and played under J.B., I was a different player, and I think he challenged me to be the more well-rounded player I am today, so I’m definitely looking forward to this time around.”
LeVert, who played under Bickerstaff from 2022 to 2024, was reassured by his existing relationships within the organization and the growth they had helped him foster on the court. Bickerstaff was LeVert’s coach during his two best seasons on the defensive end, per his defensive box plus-minus. This reassurance from the former Wolverine led him to believe he was making the right decision in signing with the Pistons earlier this summer. LeVert called his decision to return to Michigan a “full-circle moment.” It was there that he was also teammates with Duncan Robinson.
Trajan Langdon was the Brooklyn Nets’ assistant general manager when the organization drafted LeVert after a four-year career at Michigan.
Even Tim Hardaway Jr., another of LeVert’s teammates at Michigan, FaceTimed him to share his insight on his season in Detroit ahead of LeVert agreeing to terms on his new contract. LeVert’s familiarity with the franchise led him to the Pistons, where he now has an opportunity to solidify himself as one of the core members of a veteran group looking to build on last season’s success.
“I’m a big fan of the culture here,” LeVert said. “I played for J.B. for three years. I’m a big fan of a lot of the guys on the team. (I’m) a fan of how they work, how they play, how competitive they are. I think they’ve got a lot of high-character guys in the organization. … I’m super excited to be playing back here in the state of Michigan and playing for this team.”
Part of what makes LeVert’s return to the state so fulfilling is his memory of a time when people weren’t as invested in where he decided to lace up his shoes. While LeVert was modest about his recruitment, he averaged 18.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a senior at Pickerington Central high school in Pickerington, Ohio.
ESPN did list LeVert as a two-star recruit, though he was No. 11 overall in Ohio. LeVert also held offers from Dayton, Purdue and Xavier.
“Michigan has a great place in my heart — being here four years, coming from a player nobody knew about,” he said.
Apart from his connection with the university, several Pistons staff members and players, let’s examine the results Bickerstaff achieved with LeVert. LeVert had a negative defensive box plus-minus, which estimates a player’s impact on defense relative to the league average per 100 possessions, before being coached by Bickerstaff. He also averaged 1.3 defensive win shares per season over his first five in the NBA. LeVert notched a 0.8 defensive box plus-minus during his two full seasons under Bickerstaff. He also saw his defensive win shares jump to 2.9 over the next two seasons, notching a 3.1 and 2.6 in 2022-23 and 2023-24, respectively.
But it wasn’t just LeVert’s defense that improved. LeVert shot a career-high 39.2 percent on 4.4 attempts per game during his first full season under Bickerstaff in 2022-23.
More specifically, LeVert shot 39.3 percent on 211 catch-and-shoot attempts and 38.9 percent from distance on 113 off-the-dribble attempts. He showed versatility in his 3-point shotmaking with Bickerstaff at the helm, which could return as a strength as LeVert will likely have opportunities to find his shots in multiple scenarios off the bench.
Considering LeVert will step in as one of three players on the roster currently 30 years or older, he spoke to one aspect in particular that he appreciates about this group.
“The year before last, (the Pistons) were in a lot of games that they lost,” LeVert said. “Last year, they kind of just took that step. I know J.B. was a big part of it, but the guys took a step forward and had a component of, ‘We’re not going to be that bad again this year.’ That’s what you want as a young player. You want that hunger, and I think these guys have it for sure.”
What LeVert also has is playoff experience. LeVert has played in 25 playoff games across four postseasons, averaging 14.9 points on 34.5 percent from 3-point range, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
Now, for Detroit, it’s about melding LeVert’s skill set and postseason experience with the rest of the roster to compete at a higher level. Familiarity can help speed up that process.
Robinson was LeVert’s teammate for a season at Michigan. Langdon was in the draft room that decided to select LeVert at No. 20 in the 2016 NBA Draft. Bickerstaff and members of his coaching staff, including Sidney Lowe and Luke Walton, aided LeVert in becoming the best version of himself as a defender and 3-point shooter.
“It’s fun seeing the evolution,” LeVert said. “I’m super grateful and super humbled to be (in the NBA) for 10 years, because I know a lot of really, really good players don’t make it this far. I’m very blessed to be here.”
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Hunter Patterson is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Pistons. Before joining the NBA staff, Hunter was an editor on The Athletic’s news desk and provided occasional Sacramento Kings coverage. Prior to The Athletic, he worked for the NBA as a broadcasting assistant. Hunter graduated from Loyola Marymount University and earned his master’s degree in Specialized Journalism at the University of Southern California.
