Indiana Pacers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: LaVine, Sumner, Pistons, Bucks

September 14th, 2021 at 7:13pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bulls All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine is not worried about how he will mesh alongside new starting small forward DeMar DeRozan, per Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. Both players to this point have been primary scorers for their respective clubs.

“I don’t get that at all, because that’s just outside narratives,” LaVine said of the on-court collaboration with his pricey new Bulls teammate. “It’s our job to get out there and get to know each other, obviously personally and as a basketball player. It’s easy to make things work on the basketball court if you all have the same intent, and that’s winning.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

After recently tearing his left Achilles tendon during an offseason workout, 25-year-old Pacers guard Edmond Sumner underwent a successful surgery to repair the ligament, per a team press release. Drafted with the No. 52 pick out of Xavier by Indiana in 2017, Sumner has developed into a helpful reserve in his first four NBA seasons thus far. In 53 games played during the 2019/20 season, Sumner averaged 7.5 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 0.9 APG across 16.2 MPG. He posted a shooting line of .525/.398/.819.
The Pistons could stand to benefit from adding a third center with their available guaranteed roster spot, writes Rod Beard of the Detroit Free Press. The club signed Kelly Olynyk in free agency this summer, and are hopeful that second-year big man Isaiah Stewart, an All-Rookie Second Teamer, can continue to develop. Beard notes that it makes sense for Detroit to keep its 15th roster spot open through training camp, in case another veteran center becomes available elsewhere in the NBA.
Bucks shooting guards Donte DiVincenzo and Grayson Allen, both set to be restricted free agents in 2022, could net contract extensions by October 18 this season. Eric Nehm of The Athletic posits that, judging by the contracts meted out to similar-caliber players during the 2021 offseason, DiVincenzo could earn a multiyear contract worth $50MM or more, though Nehm wonders if the Bucks will be cautious to extend him before seeing how he plays on the hardwood. DiVincenzo injured a tendon in his left foot suffered during the 2021 playoffs. Nehm views the newly-added Allen as something of a contingency plan for DiVincenzo.

Sumner Takes Positive Approach To Adversity

September 10th, 2021 at 8:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers guard Edmond Sumner is taking a positive approach in the aftermath of his devastating Achilles injury. Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files relays a social media post from Sumner which states in part, “Hit me at all at once like a train. Just adding to this crazy journey of mine. … Victory comes through your adversity.”

Amida Brimah To Play In Puerto Rico

September 10th, 2021 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

After being waived by the Pacers last month, Amida Brimah will resume his playing career in Puerto Rico, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files, who reports (via Twitter) that the big man has signed with Mets de Guaynabo.

Brimah, 27, was in training camp with the Pacers last fall, then signed a two-way deal with the team in April. He appeared in five NBA games for Indiana down the stretch, recording 2.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in just 5.8 minutes per contest. He also played in 10 games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants during the G League season and put up 8.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 2.6 BPG for the club in 23.5 MPG.

Although Brimah’s two-way contract covered the 2021/22 season as well, the Pacers didn’t plan on bringing him back for another year, opting to use their two-way contract slots on undrafted rookies Duane Washington and DeJon Jarreau. As a result, Brimah was cut in August when the club signed Jarreau.

This won’t be Brimah’s first time playing outside of the NBA or the G League. The former UConn center was briefly a member of KK Partizan in Serbia in 2018.

Carlisle Ranks As Biggest Upgrade

September 9th, 2021 at 7:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The biggest upgrade the Pacers made this offseason was on the sidelines, Zach Harper of The Athletic opines. While the front office acquired a couple of potentially important role players, the key move was hiring Rick Carlisle for a second stint as their head coach. Carlisle replaces Nate Bjorkgren, who quickly fell out of favor with the team’s players and even his staff, Harper adds.

Pacers’ Edmond Sumner Sustains Torn Left Achilles

September 9th, 2021 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard Edmond Sumner has been diagnosed with a torn left Achilles tendon, according to the Pacers, who said in a press release that Sumner sustained the injury during an offseason workout on Thursday.

Sumner will be out indefinitely, per the team. While the Pacers aren’t definitively stating yet that the 25-year-old will be out for the entire 2021/22 season, the rehab and recovery process for an Achilles tear typically takes the better part of a calendar year.

It’s a brutal blow for Sumner, who had a career year in 2020/21, playing a career-high 16.2 minutes per game and earning 24 starts in 53 contests. The 6’4″ guard averaged 7.5 PPG and 1.8 RPG with an impressive shooting line of .525/.398/.819, and had his $2.32MM team option picked up by Indiana for the 2021/22 season.

Since Sumner is in the final year of his contract, the Pacers may eventually waive him if they don’t think he’ll be back this season and need his spot on the 15-man roster, but there’s no rush to make a move yet. Sumner’s $2.32MM salary is guaranteed, so he’ll earn it whether or not he finishes the season with the club.

It has been a rough week of injury updates for the Pacers, who announced on Tuesday that T.J. Warren‘s recovery from a left foot stress fracture is progressing slower than they’d hoped. It appears the team will be down at least two players when training camps open later this month.

Pacers Sign Nate Hinton To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 7th, 2021 at 7:41pm CST by Luke Adams

7:41pm: The signing is official, according to a press release from the Pacers.

3:20pm: The Pacers have reached an agreement with free agent guard Nate Hinton on an Exhibit 10 deal, agent Tallen Todorovich tells our JD Shaw (Twitter link).

Hinton, 22, signed a two-way contract with the Mavericks during the 2020 offseason after going undrafted out of Houston. The 6’5″ shooting guard spent his rookie season in Dallas, appearing in 21 games for the club, but only played limited minutes, averaging 2.0 PPG in 4.4 MPG. He saw more action at the G League level for the Santa Cruz Warriors, putting up 10.6 PPG and 7.1 RPG in 10 games (23.0 MPG).

The Mavs issued a qualifying offer to Hinton earlier this summer to make him a restricted free agent and he accepted it, briefly returning to the team on a second two-way deal. However, Dallas waived him in August in order to open up a two-way slot for JaQuori McLaughlin.

The Pacers currently have a total of 19 players under contract, including 13 on guaranteed contracts, four on non-guaranteed deals, and a pair on two-way pacts. Hinton, who will join Keifer Sykes and Terry Taylor as the Pacers players with Exhibit 10 deals, will be the team’s 20th man.

Earning a regular season roster spot will be a challenge, but if Hinton ends up joining Indiana’s G League affiliate for at least 60 days, his Exhibit 10 contract would make him eligible to earn a bonus of up to $50K.

T.J. Warren Recovering Slower Than Expected, Sidelined Indefinitely

September 7th, 2021 at 4:33pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pacers starting small forward T.J. Warren, who missed all but four games during the 2020/21 season due to a navicular left foot stress fracture, is recovering from the injury slower than Indiana had expected, per a team press release. The Pacers list Warren as being sidelined “indefinitely.”

The news undoubtedly comes as a blow for a revamped – and otherwise healthy – Pacers club that, with the return of former head coach Rick Carlisle to the bench following an underwhelming year with first-time head coach Nate Bjorkgren, hopes to compete for a return to the playoffs behind All-Star Domantas Sabonis and lead guard Malcolm Brogdon. Indiana is scheduled to begin its training camp in three weeks.

Warren was a major part of the Pacers’ core during a successful 2019/20 campaign that saw Indiana finish with the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. He was been the breakout star of the 2020 Orlando restart “bubble” campus, averaging 31.0 PPG and 6.3 RPG across six regular season games in Walt Disney World. The Pacers would go on to be swept by the Heat in the first round of the 2020 playoffs, but the future looked bright for the 6’8″ vet.

Warren averaged 15.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 1.3 APG during his four games with the Pacers during the 2020/21 season. He will earn $12.7MM in the last year of his current contract with the team. An unrestricted free agent in 2022, The 28-year-old could net a significant price on the open market should he be able to suit up for most of the 2021/22 season, but this setback throws his return timeline in doubt.

The forward took to social media to address the news himself. “Just wanted you to hear this straight from me,” he wrote in part (Twitter link). “I’m making sure I do this rehab process right so that I can get back on the court as soon as I can and be the best that I can.”

Ehambe Grateful For Last Season's Opportunity

September 3rd, 2021 at 8:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Moses Ehambe is grateful he got the opportunity to be an assistant with the Pacers, though he was not retained in the aftermath of Nate Bjorkgren’s departure, Scott Agness of FieldhouseFiles writes. “This is where you want to be,” Ehambe said in the comprehensive interview. “Now it’s about staying.”

Pacers, Kelan Martin Push Back Salary Guarantee Date

September 1st, 2021 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers won’t have to make any decisions on Kelan Martin yet, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files, who reports that the team and player agreed to push back the salary guarantee date on Martin’s contract.

Martin’s $1.7MM minimum salary for 2021/22 had been scheduled to become guaranteed if he remained on the roster through August, but the two sides moved that deadline to October 19, the first day of the regular season, a league source tells Agness.

Martin, a 6’5″ small forward who signed with the Pacers during the 2020 offseason, appeared in 35 games during his first year with the club, averaging 4.5 PPG and 2.2 RPG on .449/.400/.900 shooting in 9.2 minutes per contest.

A player on a non-guaranteed deal will typically agree to push back a salary guarantee deadline if the most likely alternative is being waived. Martin will now get the opportunity to prove during training camp and the preseason that he deserves one of the spots on Indiana’s 15-man roster this season.

The Pacers are currently carrying 13 players on guaranteed deals, plus Martin and Oshae Brissett on non-guaranteed contracts, Keifer Sykes and Terry Taylor on Exhibit 10 deals, and DeJon Jarreau and Duane Washington on two-way pacts.

Eastern Notes: Craig, Bulls, Jones Jr., Noel, Randle

August 27th, 2021 at 4:05pm CST by JD Shaw

New Pacers forward Torrey Craig is aiming to bring defensive intensity to the team this season, David Woods of The Indianapolis Star writes.

Craig, who signed with the Pacers in free agency, spent the 2020/21 season with the Bucks and Suns. He averaged 5.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 16.1 minutes in 50 total games, shooting 48% from the floor and 37% from three-point range while playing strong perimeter defense.

“I don’t even like guys to score one basket. It doesn’t matter,” Craig said. “It’s just a pride thing. I think the more guys that have that mentality and catch on, that’s what makes you a hard team to beat.

“Offense, it’s the NBA. Guys are talented. Definitely some talented scorers on this roster. Offense is going to come. When you get teams that lock in offensively, and defensively, that’s when you become a championship team.”

Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference today:

The Bulls, who agreed to acquire Derrick Jones Jr. in a three-team deal with the Blazers and Cavaliers on Friday, were was also considering acquiring Jones last April, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times tweets. Chicago added Jones to help address the team’s lack of wing depth. The 24-year-old averaged 6.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 22.7 minutes per game with Portland last season.
Nerlens Noel‘s lawsuit against Klutch Sports agent Rich Paul may have stemmed from a grievance filed by Paul, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Paul claimed that Noel still owes him $200K as commission from the one-year, $5MM contract he signed with the Knicks last year. As we previously relayed, Noel is suing Paul for the loss of approximately $58MM regarding a past extension offer from the Mavericks.
Knicks All-Star Julius Randle preferred stability over more money, he said in explaining why he signed a four-year, $117MM extension with the team, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com examines. Randle would’ve been eligible for a new contract worth up to roughly $200MM if he waited until next summer. “The money was one thing, but for me, it was more about the situation as far as my happiness, the basketball situation, my family, just being stable and being in New York and really just continuing to build this thing up,” Randle said. “When I signed here two years ago, this was my vision, to be able to lock in something long term and build something from the ground up. That’s what we’re doing. All hands on deck.”