Indiana Pacers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacers Waive Furkan Korkmaz

February 9th, 2024 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 9: The Pacers have officially waived Korkmaz, the team confirmed today in a press release.

FEBRUARY 8: The Pacers will waive shooting guard Furkan Korkmaz after they officially acquire him from the Sixers, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Indiana agreed to trade Buddy Hield to Philadelphia in exchange for Marcus Morris, Korkmaz, and three second-round picks. Given that the Pacers immediately made a deal to flip Morris to San Antonio and will cut Korkmaz, it’s clear those draft picks were the assets they were after, with the two former 76ers just viewed as salary-matching pieces.

Korkmaz has been with the Sixers since 2017 and played a regular rotation role for several seasons from 2019-22. However, his minutes have significantly declined in the past two seasons. In 2023/24, he has averaged 2.5 points per game on .395/.350/.700 shooting in 35 appearances off the bench (8.6 MPG).

Korkmaz is on an expiring $5,370,370 contract, so Indiana will be on the hook for that cap hit once he clears waivers.

The 26-year-old will be eligible to sign as a free agent with any NBA team except the Sixers, though he likely wouldn’t have pursued a reunion with his former team anyway, given that he has sought a trade out of Philadelphia multiple times in recent years.

Fischer’s Latest: Hield, Sixers, George, Pacers, Trae, Murray, More

February 9th, 2024 at 7:08am CST by Luke Adams

Buddy Hield rejected a “significant” extension offer from Indiana in the fall, and with a lucrative new deal for Pascal Siakam to account for, the Pacers’ ability to retain Hield as a free agent this offseason was in doubt, which is why they sent him to the Sixers on Thursday, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Philadelphia, which doesn’t currently have any guaranteed money on its books beyond 2023/24 besides Joel Embiid‘s contract, is much better positioned to retain Hield, though the 76ers will likely consider many options with their projected cap room.

Echoing Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter video link), Fischer says star forward Paul George figures to be a top target for the Sixers if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Clippers in the coming weeks or months. Nuggets wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who holds a player option for 2024/25, has also been mentioned as a possible Philadelphia target, per Fischer.

The Sixers wouldn’t be the only team in play for George if he reaches free agency, according to Fischer, who suggests there have been whispers that the veteran is intrigued by the possibility of returning to Indiana and teaming up with Tyrese Haliburton. Such a move would be tricky – but certainly not impossible – from a cap perspective.

Philadelphia’s offseason outlook will hinge in part on what the team’s plans are for Tobias Harris. According to Fischer, the Sixers weren’t willing to include him in a deadline deal that would have sent him to Detroit, with Pistons wings Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks going to Philly. The Pistons may be in the mix for Harris in free agency this summer, Fischer notes, adding that Hornets forward Miles Bridges is another player expected to be on Detroit’s radar.

Here are a few more post-deadline items of interest from Fischer:

Multiple front offices came away from their conversations with the Hawks believing that Atlanta could make star guard Trae Young available this summer, says Fischer. However, he cautions that could “prove to be wishful thinking,” since the information is coming from rival teams rather than from the Hawks themselves. If Young were to hit the trade market, the Lakers and Spurs are among the clubs widely viewed as potential fits, Fischer adds.
League personnel anticipate that the Lakers will resume conversations with the Hawks about Dejounte Murray in the offseason, according to Fischer, who notes that the Pelicans could revisit their Murray talks at that point too. Atlanta is known to value multiple players on New Orleans’ roster, league sources Fischer, though one of those players – Naji Marshall – will be an unrestricted free agent this July.
Although there were several teams open to the idea of acquiring D’Angelo Russell, many front offices viewed his $18.7MM player option for 2024/25 as having negative value, Fischer reports. That thinking, along with Russell’s strong recent play, factored into the Lakers‘ decision to hang onto him through the deadline.
In addition to the recently released players who will hit the free agent market shortly, center Bismack Biyombo, forward Rudy Gay, and swingman Danny Green are among the veterans who were waived earlier in 2023/24 and continue to seek new NBA homes, Fischer writes, singling out Biyombo as a player expected to generate interest.

Pacers Re-Sign James Johnson

February 8th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Following the expiration of his second 10-day contract with Indiana on Wednesday night, veteran forward James Johnson has re-signed with the Pacers, the team announced in a press release.

As expected, veteran point guard Cory Joseph was waived to open up a spot on the 15-man roster for Johnson. Indiana acquired Joseph from Golden State along with $5.68MM in cash earlier in the day.

Johnson has now signed four separate contracts with Indiana since the 2023/24 season began. He originally inked a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract on December 15, but was waived to accommodate the trade for Pascal Siakam a month later. Johnson returned to the Pacers on a pair of 10-day contracts and now that he’s ineligible to sign another 10-day pact, has finalized a rest-of-season deal with the club.

Johnson, who will turn 37 later this month, doesn’t see much action for the Pacers, having logged just 24 total minutes across five appearances so far this season. However, he’s a valued veteran presence in the locker room and brings some toughness and physicality to a relatively young team.

A prorated minimum-salary contract for Johnson will pay him $1,230,816 the rest of the way and will count toward Indiana’s cap for $777,703.

The Pacers now have a full 15-man roster, but they’re expected to open up a spot by waiving Furkan Korkmaz, who was acquired from Philadelphia on Thursday.

Sixers, Pacers, Spurs Complete Hield, McDermott Deals As Three-Team Trade

February 8th, 2024 at 6:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers, Sixers, and Spurs have folded a pair of separate trade agreements into a single transaction, announcing in a series of press releases that the deals sending Buddy Hield to Philadelphia and Doug McDermott to Indiana have been officially completed as a three-team trade.

The Pacers initially agreed to acquire Marcus Morris, Furkan Korkmaz, three second-round picks, and cash from Philadelphia in exchange for Hield, then reached a deal to flip Morris, one of those second-rounders to San Antonio, and cash for McDermott. Those three pieces will go directly to the Spurs instead.

Here are the full details:

Sixers acquire Hield.
Pacers acquire McDermott, Korkmaz, the Raptors’ 2024 second-round pick (from Sixers), the Trail Blazers’ 2029 second-round pick (from Sixers), and cash (from Sixers).
Spurs acquire Morris, the Clippers’ 2029 second-round pick (from Sixers), and cash (from Sixers).

The 2024 second-round pick going from Philadelphia to Indiana technically includes “most favorable” language and could come from a different team, but there’s essentially no chance it won’t be Toronto’s second-rounder, given their place in the standings.

Folding the two trades into one deal doesn’t materially change much, but it will introduce one notable new wrinkle. If Morris had been traded to Indiana, then sent to San Antonio in a separate deal, he would’ve been eligible to re-sign with the Sixers in the event the Spurs buy him out. However, due to the structure of the deal, he now won’t be permitted to sign with Philadelphia if he’s waived by San Antonio.

A player is prohibited from rejoining a team that traded him if his new team waives him, but if he’s traded twice before being cut, he’s only ineligible to join the club that traded him most recently.

Korkmaz, who is being waived by the Pacers, will also be prohibited from re-signing with the Sixers, though as we noted in a separate story, that was never a likely outcome.

For more details on the Hield and McDermott deals, check out our full stories on the trade agreements.

Pacers Acquire Cory Joseph, Will Waive Him

February 8th, 2024 at 5:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:53pm: The trade is official, the Warriors confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).

3:47pm: The Pacers intend to waive Joseph, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Essentially then, Indiana’s motive in the deal was to sell off the worst of its 2024 second-round picks.

2:23pm: The Pacers are acquiring veteran guard Cory Joseph from the Warriors, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Indiana is sending out a second-round pick for Joseph and cash (Twitter links).

The pick will be in this year’s draft and will be the least favorable of the three second-rounders the Pacers currently control, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter links). That second-rounder will likely be Milwaukee’s or Cleveland’s.

The Pacers are receiving $5.8MM in cash from Golden State and will also acquire Charlotte’s top-55 protected 2025 second-rounder, reports John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Golden State will reduce its luxury tax penalty by $13.5MM by lopping off Joseph’s $2MM cap hit, Yossi Gozlan of Hoops Hype tweets. The Warriors now have a $172.8MM projected luxury tax penalty with a $379MM combined payroll and tax payments.

Indiana has a roster spot opening, so it doesn’t need to waive a player to make room for Joseph. The Pacers have plenty of depth at point guard, so it’s unclear whether it has any plans for the 32-year-old. Joseph has appeared in 26 games off the bench this season, averaging 2.4 points and 1.6 assists in 11.4 minutes.

Joseph played the past two seasons and part of the previous campaign with Detroit.

Spurs Trading Doug McDermott To Pacers

February 8th, 2024 at 1:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers will acquire Doug McDermott from the Spurs, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

San Antonio will receive Marcus Morris, a second-round pick, and cash in return, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). One of the picks is in 2029, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Morris, whom Indiana is acquiring from Philadelphia in the Buddy Hield trade, will likely be bought out by San Antonio, Charania adds (Twitter link).

If Morris becomes a free agent, he would be ineligible to return to the Pacers or join the seven teams operating above the first or second tax apron: the Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Heat, Bucks and Suns. Morris would be able to return to the Sixers if the trades involving Hield and McDermott are separate, rather than one three-team transaction.

The Pacers will create a $3.4MM trade exception in the deal, according to Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link). They also get a useful shooter after sending Hield to Philadelphia, while adding some draft assets.

McDermott returns to Indiana, where he spent three seasons before leaving for San Antonio in a sign-and-trade deal in 2021. The 32-year-old forward has seen his playing time reduced this season, but he’s a career 41.2% career shooter from long distance and is connecting at 43.9% through 46 games this season.

Although Morris is unlikely to join the Spurs, it’s something of a reunion for him as well. Gozlan notes that he was close to signing with San Antonio five years ago before changing his mind.

Pacers To Trade Buddy Hield To Sixers

February 8th, 2024 at 9:26am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers and Sixers have agreed on a trade that will send sharpshooter Buddy Hield to Philadelphia, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Indiana will receive forward Marcus Morris, guard Furkan Korkmaz, and three second-round picks.

The Sixers will also sent the Pacers $1.5MM in cash, a league source tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Pompey reports that the draft picks involved in the deal will be the Raptors’ 2024 second-rounder, and the Clippers’ and Trail Blazers’ 2029 second-rounders.

Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported (via Twitter) that the two teams were nearing a deal for Hield.

Although he’s having a down year relative to his career rates, Hield remains one of the NBA’s most dangerous outside shooters. The 31-year-old is averaging 12.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 25.7 minutes per night (52 games) so far in 2023/24, with a 38.4% three-point rate on 6.9 attempts per contest.

Hield saw his role cut back this season on a deep Indiana roster — his 9.9 field goal attempts per game represent his lowest mark since he was a rookie in 2016/17.

However, he’s a career 40.1% three-point shooter and has knocked down at least 262 total threes in each of the past five seasons prior to this one. His now-former teammate Tyrese Haliburton raved this week about Hield’s ability to space the floor and create room for others to operate.

The Sixers had been in the market for size and shooting ahead of the trade deadline and will achieve one of those goals without compromising their projected cap room for this offseason, since Hield – like Morris and Korkmaz – is on an expiring contract. They also didn’t have to give up a first-round pick, which Indiana had been seeking for Hield as recently as Wednesday, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.

As cap expert Yossi Gozlan notes (via Twitter), Hield’s $19.3MM cap hit for this season will be adjusted upward to $19.8MM as a result of the trade, since some of the playoff-related bonuses in his contract that were considered unlikely will now be deemed likely. Hield is extension-eligible through June 30, though he’d be limited to a two-year deal and 5% raises if he inks a new deal prior to free agency.

Philadelphia remains about $1.6MM above the luxury tax line, Gozlan adds (via Twitter), and can create a $5.4MM trade exception in the deal.

Hield had long been considered a trade candidate for the Pacers, who explored a preseason extension with the veteran shooting guard and couldn’t agree to terms. Recognizing that they likely wouldn’t keep Hield beyond this season, Indiana decided to get what it could for him now.

The Pacers won’t have to waive a player to complete the deal, since they have two open spots on their 15-man roster following the expiration of James Johnson‘s 10-day contract on Wednesday night.

It’s unclear if Indiana intends to hang onto both Morris and Korkmaz. A physical, versatile forward and a Philadelphia native, Morris averaged 6.7 PPG and 2.9 RPG on .439/.400/.861 shooting in 37 games (17.2 MPG) for the Sixers this season, while Korkmaz chipped in 2.5 PPG on .395/.350/.700 shooting in 35 contests (8.6 MPG).

Morris is making $17.1MM; Korkmaz’ cap hit is $5.4MM.

Scotto’s Latest: Mavs, Washington, Grimes, Pacers, Hornets, Hyland, More

February 8th, 2024 at 9:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks and Hornets have discussed various P.J. Washington trade concepts that include a future first-round pick from Dallas, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

According to Scotto, if Charlotte is going to agree to take back Richaun Holmes, who holds a $12.9MM player option for next season, in exchange for Washington, the Hornets want that Dallas first-rounder to be unprotected. The Mavs have resisted that idea so far, Scotto writes, adding that Seth Curry has also been part of those trade discussions between the two teams.

While Scotto doesn’t say that Grant Williams has come up in the trade talks between the Mavs and Hornets, he suggests it wouldn’t be a surprise if that’s the case, since Dallas has talked about Williams with multiple teams already.

In addition to Washington, the Mavs have expressed interest in Raptors wing Bruce Brown and Knicks wing Quentin Grimes, among others, Scotto reports. League sources tell HoopsHype that Dallas explored acquiring Grimes in exchange for a package headlined by Josh Green, but New York turned down the proposal.

Here’s more from Scotto, with just hours to go until Thursday’s trade deadline:

Although Buddy Hield is considered Indiana’s top trade candidate, rival executives think the Pacers might move some of their frontcourt depth, with Obi Toppin and Jalen Smith among the players believed to be available, Scotto writes. Lottery pick Jarace Walker, on the other hand, remains off limits based on what the Pacers are telling other clubs, league sources tell HoopsHype.
The Hornets have expressed interest in Bones Hyland, according to Scotto, who says the Clippers are seeking a pair of second-round picks in exchange for the third-year guard.
Despite some speculation that the Nets are interested in D’Angelo Russell, Brooklyn hasn’t had any “substantive” talks with the Lakers and/or Hawks about getting involved in a potential Dejounte Murray trade to acquire Russell, Scotto reports.
The Pistons and Grizzlies continue to talk about a possible Killian Hayes trade, with second-round draft compensation serving as the sticking point, per Scotto.

Sixers Rumors: Brogdon, Bogdanovic, Hield, Morris, Covington

February 7th, 2024 at 8:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers contacted the Trail Blazers about Malcolm Brogdon, but Portland appears reluctant to move him, sources tell Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports. Neubeck hears that Philadelphia is attempting to add a combo guard who’s comfortable either running the offense or playing off the ball. That description fits Brogdon, who handled both roles while winning Sixth Man of the Year honors last season in Boston.

An efficient shooter throughout his career, Brogdon is connecting at 44% from the field and 41.2% from three-point range this season. He’s currently making $22.5MM and is owed the same amount for 2024/25, and the Blazers are content to hold onto him unless they’re “bowled over with an offer,” according to Neubeck.

Neubeck reports that the Sixers also made exploratory calls to the Hawks about Bogdan Bogdanovic, but Atlanta is asking for a high price in return. Part of Bogdanovic’s value stems from his team-friendly contract, which pays him $17.3MM next season and $16MM in 2025/26 with a $16MM team option for 2026/27.

Neubeck has more on the Sixers:

Philadelphia has interest in Pacers guard Buddy Hield, but Neubeck cites a “gap in valuation” between the teams that makes it unlikely they can agree on a deal. A source tells Neubeck that Indiana wants a first-round pick in exchange for Hield, while the Sixers are limiting their offer to expiring contracts and second-rounders.
The front office is hoping to find a starting-caliber center to replace Joel Embiid while he recovers from a knee procedure. Andre Drummond from the Bulls and Kelly Olynyk from the Jazz are widely reported options, but Neubeck hears that the Sixers have explored other possibilities and will likely sign someone if they can’t work out a trade before the deadline.
A source tells Neubeck that Marcus Morris and Robert Covington are the most likely Sixers to be traded. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst had a similar report on his Hoop Collective podcast.

Central Notes: Hield, Milton, Brown, White, Drummond, Caruso

February 7th, 2024 at 6:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Buddy Hield has been involved in trade rumors since before the start of training camp, but his Pacers teammates hope he won’t be going anywhere, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Hield may be considered expendable because he’s headed for unrestricted free agency after he and the team were unable to reach an extension agreement. Although Hield’s $18.6MM expiring contract could bring a nice return, Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell both told Dopirak that his shooting skills are too valuable to part with.

“I think the one thing that people need to understand with Buddy Hield — and I’ve played with him my whole career — is the gravity that he has as a basketball player,” Haliburton said. “His spacing even when he’s not making shots — which isn’t often, I mean, he’s one of the best shooters who’s ever touched a basketball — his gravity when he’s on the floor and in our stack actions and in our movement actions, a lot of times, you have to respect what he does even if he’s not making shots in the game. You have to run two at them and that kind of opens up everything for us.”

Dopirak notes that Hield is having a subpar season, even though Indiana has developed into one of the league’s best offenses. His scoring has dropped to 12.0 PPG after he averaged 16.8 PPG last year, and his three-point shooting percentage and volume have both declined. Still, only 14 players have made more three-pointers this season, which means Hield puts constant pressure on opposing defenses.

After being traded at the deadline in both 2017 and 2022, Hield isn’t stressed about the possibility of it happening again.

“It’s the business of basketball,” he said. “One thing is I always thank God I have a jersey on me. You always appreciate that somebody wants you out there. If it happens, some team is going to get a Buddy who is ready to play and is excited for new opportunities. Right now I’m happy at Indiana and just taking it day-by-day and we’ll see what happens.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Shake Milton appears to be a buyout candidate for the Pistons once today’s trade with Minnesota is finalized, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Hollinger speculates that Milton could wind up with the Bucks, considering how well he played for coach Doc Rivers during their time together in Philadelphia. Hollinger believes Detroit is more likely to hang onto small forward Troy Brown, who fills a position of need and has a non-guaranteed salary of $4MM for next season.
K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago looks at how Coby White has become a foundational piece for the Bulls after being made available at the last few trade deadlines. The three-year, $36MM contract White signed last summer looks like a major bargain, Johnson adds.
Finding someone willing to part with a second-round pick in exchange for Andre Drummond could be the Bulls‘ only move before the deadline, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. A source tells Cowley that teams continue to call about Alex Caruso, but he’s unlikely to be moved unless the front office receives an offer that “completely blew them away.”