Indiana Pacers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Plan Major Trade Push For Paul George?

May 6th, 2016 at 1:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 1:09pm: GM Mitch Kupchak denied any plans to trade the first-round pick as he spoke in an appearance on KSPN-AM in Los Angeles, as Serena Winters of Lakers Nation relays (Twitter links).

“I have no idea where that came from,” Kupchak said. “I’m superstitious enough that I’m not going to look to do something or take something for granted before we have it.”

WEDNESDAY, 12:00pm: The Lakers want to make an aggressive run at trading for Paul George this summer, and they’re willing to give up their 2016 first-round pick and more to Indiana, as HBO’s Bill Simmons hears (Twitter link). Such a proposal would be unlikely to sway the Pacers, Simmons concedes, and the Lakers won’t even have a first-rounder to offer if they slip out of the top three in the May 17th lottery, a scenario with a roughly 44% chance of happening.

It would probably require the inclusion of D’Angelo Russell to prompt the Pacers to consider any such offer, Simmons suggests, noting that Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird isn’t sentimental and will make a drastic move if he deems it necessary, as the uncertainty over Frank Vogel‘s job status demonstrates (Twitter links). George, a native of Los Angeles County, is under contract for at least two more years, with a player option worth more than $20.7MM for the 2018/19 season.

The Lakers reportedly offered last year’s No. 2 pick, which they ultimately used on Russell, to the Kings in trade talks about DeMarcus Cousins this past June. Lakers basketball operations chief Jim Buss faces a self-imposed deadline of next spring to have to turned around the franchise’s sagging fortunes, having said he’ll resign if he fails to accomplish that. The team was a franchise-worst 17-65 this past season.

What sort of offer do you think it would take to pry George from the Pacers? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Indiana Pacers

May 6th, 2016 at 12:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird already decided to change coaches, and he has the flexibility necessary to make further significant alterations to his team. The Pacers can open roughly $30MM in room against a projected $92MM cap, close to enough for even the highest band of maximum salaries. Indiana has never been a destination spot for elite free agents, but the Pacers nonetheless have the ability to spread their wealth on players who can adopt Bird’s preferred up-tempo offense. Perhaps the only impingement will be the team’s sharp restriction on the offer it can make to Solomon Hill thanks to the decision to decline his option this past fall. See how Indiana’s cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.

Guaranteed salary

Paul George ($18,314,532)
Monta Ellis ($10,763,500)
George Hill ($8,000,000)
Rodney Stuckey ($7,000,000)
C.J. Miles ($4,583,450)
Lavoy Allen ($4,000,000)
Myles Turner ($2,463,840)
Joseph Young ($1,052,342)
Rakeem Christmas ($1,052,342)
Total: $57,230,006

Player Options

None

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Glenn Robinson III ($1,050,500)
Shayne Whittington ($980,431)
Total: $2,030,931

Restricted Free Agents

None

Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)

Ian Mahinmi ($7,600,000)
Jordan Hill ($4,800,000)
Solomon Hill ($2,306,019)¹
Ty Lawson ($980,431)
Total: $15,686,450

Other Cap Holds

No. 20 pick ($1,301,900)

Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000

Footnotes:

The Pacers can’t re-sign Hill to a contract with a starting salary worth more than the amount listed here because they declined their team option on his rookie scale contract.

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

Pacers Tell Solomon Hill They Will Consider Re-Signing Him

May 5th, 2016 at 10:06pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Because the Pacers declined to exercise their team option on Solomon Hill for 2016/17, the small forward is now set to become an unrestricted free agent and Indiana cannot offer Hill a salary for next season greater than $2,306,019, which is the value of the option the Pacers declined. Team executive Larry Bird, speaking at today’s press conference, noted that he told Hill in his exit interview that that the team would consider re-signing him, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star relays in a series of tweets. Bird also told the 25-year-old that he did him a favor by declining the option because it lit a fire under him this season, Buckner adds. Hill made 59 appearances for the Pacers this season, notching averages of 4.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 14.7 minutes per contest. His shooting line on the season was .447/.324/.857.

Fallout From Pacers Dismissal Of Frank Vogel

May 5th, 2016 at 5:23pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Frank Vogel released an official statement regarding his dismissal from the Pacers, and the former coach thanked the organization, executive Larry Bird and the team’s fans for their support, Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports relays. “I would like to express my sincerest thanks to the Simon family, Larry Bird and the entire Indiana Pacers organization for giving me the opportunity to serve as the head coach of this team for the past six seasons. This is one of the top-flight organizations in the National Basketball Association and I truly enjoyed every minute I spent as the leader of this group of men,” Vogel wrote. “During my time with the Pacers, we made a lot of positive memories and none of that would have been possible without the support of Larry, the front office and all of the players I had the opportunity to coach. We consistently battled through thick and thin, and that is something that I am very proud of.”

“Lastly, I want to give a huge thanks to Pacers fans in Indiana and across the country,” Vogel continued. “You all have treated my family and me with kindness and class throughout our time here and I can’t thank you enough for that. My family and I consider Indianapolis home and this community will always hold a special place in our hearts.”

Here’s more from Indiana:

Vogel wasn’t a perfect coach, given his lack of adaptability and his failure to get the most out of ex-Pacers Evan Turner and Gerald Green, but he wasn’t inept at offense, which Bird wants more of, and the way Lance Stephenson, David West and Roy Hibbert have performed since leaving Indiana speaks to the coach’s value, as Zach Lowe of ESPN.com argues. Ultimately, the decision to let go of Vogel puts the onus on Bird’s acumen as an executive going forward, Lowe writes.
Bird cited the success of a Celtics coaching move that took place in 1983 as one of the reasons he decided against retaining Vogel, and that, as well as his reluctance to consult star Paul George about his would-be position switch last year, shows the executive is stuck in the past, contends Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star.
The players were aware of Vogel’s status as a potential lame duck since the All-Star break, and they weren’t surprised by the announcement that the coach had been dismissed, notes Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter links).
Bird publicly relaying that Vogel tried to talk his way out of being dismissed likely won’t look good to potential coaching candidates, opines Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star. According to the scribe, that admission by Bird demonstrates to candidates that he is capable of disparaging them, whether he respects them or not.
Bird’s stance that Vogel didn’t get the most out of Indiana’s roster this season isn’t necessarily correct, as many around the league believed the Pacers overachieved this season, writes Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News. “It comes down to what you’re looking for going forward,” Bird said. “We’ve got some good players, and we’ve got two guys I think are really good players. And how are we going to get the other guys to raise their level of play? That’s what the new coach has got to do.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Pacers Eye D’Antoni, Jackson, Wittman, Woodson?

May 5th, 2016 at 3:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

3:16pm: Mike D’Antoni, Mark Jackson, Randy Wittman and Mike Woodson are among the names Buckner hears connected to the job (Twitter link).

12:42pm: Bulls lead assistant coach Jim Boylen is also drawing mention, Berger hears (Twitter link). Boylen was a Pacers assistant from 2011-13.

12:26pm: Jeff Hornacek is expected to become a candidate as well, league sources tell Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The former Suns coach is apparently interviewing for the Kings vacancy this week, and the Rockets are reportedly trying to arrange an interview with him, too.

11:20am: Nate McMillan and Brian Shaw are in the discussion to fill the head coaching vacancy on the Pacers, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Frank Vogel‘s contract expired and president of basketball operations Larry Bird decided against re-signing him. McMillan has been Indiana’s lead assistant since 2013 when he replaced Shaw, who left for the head coaching job with the Nuggets.

Shaw hasn’t coached since the Nuggets fired him last year at the end of a disappointing tenure in which he went 56-85. McMillan will reportedly interview for the Kings head coaching job today or Friday.

The 50-year-old Shaw spent two seasons with the Pacers as Vogel’s top deputy after seven years as a Lakers assistant. Incoming Lakers head coach Luke Walton would reportedly like to hire Shaw as an assistant, but many believe executive Jim Buss is wary of those with ties to Phil Jackson, whom Shaw played for and later coached under.

McMillan, 51, has a much lengthier resume as an NBA head coach, having compiled a 478-452 regular season record and a 14-20 mark in the playoffs during parts of 12 seasons with the SuperSonics and Trail Blazers. Portland fired him midway through the 2011/12 season.

Many speculated that former Rockets coach Kevin McHale, Bird’s longtime teammate, would become a candidate for the Pacers head coaching job if the position opened, but Bird said today that he won’t hire him.

Kings To Interview Nate McMillan

May 5th, 2016 at 11:09am CST by Chuck Myron

MAY 5TH, 11:09am: The interview will take place today or Friday, tweets Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star.

MAY 2ND, 8:20am: McMillan will interview soon, tweets Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The Pacers are out of the playoffs following Sunday’s Game 7 loss to the Raptors, and uncertainty surrounds the job status of Pacers head coach Frank Vogel.

APRIL 28TH, 10:04pm: The Kings have asked the Pacers for permission to interview assistant coach Nate McMillan for the head coaching job in Sacramento, sources tell Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago (Twitter link). Sacramento reportedly hopes to make a hire sometime next week, but Goodwill indicates the Kings are willing to wait until Indiana’s playoff run is over to conduct the interview. The Pacers face an elimination game Friday against the Raptors.

Sacramento isn’t alone in its admiration for the former SuperSonics and Trail Blazers head coach, as Knicks team president Phil Jackson respects his “hard edge,” according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. It nonetheless doesn’t appear as though McMillan is a candidate for the Knicks job or any vacancy other than Sacramento’s at this point. Marc Stein of ESPN.com first identified the 51-year-old McMillan among those in the mix for the Kings opening.

McMillan is 478-452 in parts of a dozen seasons as an NBA head coach, with a 14-20 playoff record. He was last a head man for Portland, which fired him in March 2012.

The Kings have the NBA’s most well-populated list of reported candidates. They’ve interviewed Sam Mitchell, Vinny Del Negro and Mike Woodson and would like to do so with Luke Walton, Kevin McHale and Jeff Hornacek, according to various reports. Mark Jackson, Brian Shaw, Ettore Messina, Ime Udoka, Monty Williams, Jeff Van Gundy, Patrick Ewing, David Blatt, Jay Larranaga, Elston Turner and Henry Bibby are the other apparent candidates.

Latest On Pacers, Frank Vogel

May 5th, 2016 at 10:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The major story on the coaching front is that the Pacers have parted ways with Frank Vogel, as we covered in detail here, but plenty more news is developing. Track the latest here:

Belief around the league is rising that the Pacers will let go of Vogel, Stein writes. President of basketball operations Larry Bird has a press conference scheduled for 10am Central today, and it appears likely he’ll lend clarity to Vogel’s future at that time. The coach’s contract with the Pacers has already expired, as Wojnarowski indicates, citing league sources. Many coaching contracts carry until the end of June, as player contracts do, but apparently that’s not the case with Vogel, who made approximately $2.5MM this past season, according to Wojnarowski. The Vertical scribe speculates that Vogel could double that annual salary in his next job. Bird had yet to speak with Vogel about a new contract as of late Wednesday, league sources told Wojnarowski.

Pacers Dismiss Frank Vogel

May 5th, 2016 at 10:02am CST by Chuck Myron

Bill Streicher / USA TODAY Sports Images

The Pacers are letting go of coach Frank Vogel, as president of basketball operations Larry Bird revealed in a press conference streamed via the team’s website. Vogel’s contract had already expired, as The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported and as Bird confirmed, saying he wouldn’t give him a new deal.

“I’ve decided that it’s time for a new voice around here,” Bird said, as the team’s Twitter account relays (Twitter link). “… This is one of the toughest things I’ve done.”

Bird said he won’t replace Vogel with Kevin McHale, his former teammate and the subject of much speculation as a candidate for the Pacers coaching job. McHale earlier withdrew from the running as a candidate for the Kings job, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported.

“I would not do that to Kevin, to have him work for me,” Bird said, as TNT’s David Aldridge relays via Twitter. “That’s not fair. I respect him too much.”

Bird reiterated that he wants more scoring and that his expectations for the Pacers this season were higher than most, The Vertical’s Chris Mannix notes (Twitter link). It appeared a philosophical difference had emerged earlier this season when Bird spoke of his desire for more of an up-tempo attack and Vogel’s fondness for a traditional lineup with two big men. Bird said today that he started thinking about making a coaching change around the All-Star break but felt Vogel deserved a chance to finish the season, Aldridge tweets. Vogel tried to talk Bird out of parting ways with him this morning, Bird said, as Mannix relays (Twitter link), though Bird added that he didn’t meet with Vogel face-to-face, only speaking to him on the phone.

“We’re Hoosiers, we treat people — other than today, we usually treat people pretty good,” Bird said, as Aldridge relays (on Twitter).

Vogel would get a positive recommendation from Bird, the executive said, indicating that he simply believes coaches have a limited shelf life with any team, as Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star and Mannix note (Twitter links). However, Bird said he doesn’t believe Vogel lost the locker room, Mannix adds.

The Pacers went 250-181 in parts of six seasons under Vogel, who inherited the head coaching job, his first in the NBA, when the Pacers fired Jim O’Brien in January 2011. That record doesn’t include Vogel’s 31-30 postseason mark. Indiana made back-to-back conference finals under Vogel’s watch in 2013 and 2014. The Rockets have reportedly wanted to interview him, just as they did before they hired McHale in 2011, and opportunities are available on the Knicks and Kings, too.

Ty Lawson Wants To Return To Pacers

May 4th, 2016 at 7:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Ty Lawson, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, said he would like to return to the Pacers next season, the team relayed (via Twitter). “It was a fun time. I liked the culture here. … Hopefully I can come back next year,” Lawson said. The point guard made 13 appearances for Indiana this season, averaging 4.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 18.1 minutes per outing.

Community Shootaround: Frank Vogel

May 4th, 2016 at 5:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pacers coach Frank Vogel‘s contract expires this summer, and he and the team reportedly haven’t discussed an extension yet. Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post heard that Vogel might have been coaching for his job Sunday, when the Pacers lost the deciding game of their first-round series to the Raptors. President of basketball operations Larry Bird declined to answer a question after Sunday’s contest about whether Vogel would return for next season, saying, “Come on, man, the game just ended.”

Bird had spoken in January about a philosophical difference between himself and Vogel, saying that he preferred an up-tempo attack with Paul George at the power forward while Vogel favored a more conventional approach with two traditional big men. George put up resistance to playing the four at the beginning of the season and Indiana largely abandoned the idea. The executive said he’ll speak with owner Herb Simon at an undetermined point to figure out whether to re-sign Vogel. Finding a way to generate more offense is the key, Bird insisted. “We need to score more points,” Bird said to Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star. “If Frank comes back, what can we do to get better offense? It’s on all of us. Frank’s a great guy. He’s going to be fine no matter what happens. If he’s back, he’ll be fine here. If he’s not, he’s not. We’ll see.”

Vogel has a record of 250-181 in parts of six seasons with Indiana, his only NBA head coaching stop. That mark doesn’t include a 31-30 record in the playoffs, where Vogel guided the Pacers to back-to-back appearances in the Eastern Conference finals in 2013 and 2014.

This brings me to the topic for today: Should the Pacers retain Frank Vogel as their head coach?

Has Vogel done enough in your eyes to be re-signed, or is it time to bring in some new blood to coach the team? Keep in mind that many of the top coaching targets are already off the board this offseason, which may weight things in Vogel’s favor. Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.