Nets: Caris LeVert available to play Monday

After waiting a quarter of the season, Nets fans may finally get to see first round draft choice Caris LeVert play on Monday night vs. the Washington Wizards.

The Nets announced the news via Twitter...

Whether LeVert will actually step on the court —or even be active— will be up to Kenny Atkinson, but the Nets performance team has cleared him to play. There’s no information on whether LeVert will have a minutes restriction.

The 6’7” wingman has been practicing for a couple of weeks, but hasn’t played under game conditions in nearly a year. He went down last December 30 in a Big 10 game, his third foot problem in three years. Rather undergo surgery immediately, LeVert decided to seek out opinions on how the issue could be rectified permanently.

In March, Dr. Martin O’Malley of the Hospital for Special Surgery reconstructed it in a procedure that graft part of his hip bone onto the foot. LeVert has said O’Malley told him this procedure should cure the problem.

He was taken at No. 20 in the first round after the Nets traded Thaddeus Young for his rights and a second round pick ... and after Sean Marks said he had discussed the procedure and diagnosis with O’Malley, who is also Brooklyn’s foot and ankle specialist.

When healthy at Michigan (only 33 out of 68 possible games), the Ohio native was used at the 1, 2 and 3, his ball-handling and deep shooting skills making him a versatile asset for the Wolverines. Although most draftniks had LeVert going in the second round of June’s draft, they all conceded he could have gone much higher without the injury concerns. The Nets reportedly had him at No. 11 on their internal mock draft.

Here’s Draft Express video compilation of his strengths and weaknesses.

Monday, of course, could be a big day for Nets fans ... and the organization. The Houston Rockets have until 11:59 p.m. Monday to match the Nets four-year, $37 million contract offered on Friday night. A decision could come earlier M

Still no word on a timetable for Jeremy Lin (hamstring strain) to return. Unlike LeVert, he has yet to begin practice. Lin has participated in shooting drills and other non-contact drills the past several weeks.

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