Indiana Pacers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacers Sign Glenn Robinson III

July 27th, 2015 at 2:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

MONDAY, 2:02pm: The deal is official, the team announced.

“Glenn comes to us with a set of skills we think will blend in with our team,” said Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird. “We expect him to be very good on the defensive end and he can score the ball. We look forward to seeing him improve throughout the year.”

SATURDAY, 11:48am: Glenn Robinson III has agreed to a three-year contract with the Pacers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Agents Austin Brown and Aaron Mintz of CAA informed Wojnarowski of the agreement.

Robinson, 21, became an unrestricted free agent after the Sixers declined to make him a qualifying offer. The 6’7” swingman appeared in 35 games last season. He averaged 1.2 points in 25 games for the Timberwolves, who waived him in March. He averaged 4.4 points in 10 games after the Sixers claimed him.

The Pacers still have some cap space left even with the addition of Robinson III because they have yet to make their deal with Lavoy Allen official, former Nets executive Bobby Marks tweets.

Robinson will have to fight for playing time at the wing positions with Paul George, Monta Ellis, Chase Budinger, Solomon Hill and C.J. Miles.

Robinson declared for 2014 draft after his sophomore season with the University of Michigan and was taken with the 40th overall pick by Minnesota.

Pacers Re-Sign Shayne Whittington

July 27th, 2015 at 1:59pm CST by Will Joseph

1:59pm: The deal is official, the Pacers announced.

“Shayne has been with us for more than a year and shown us a lot of good things,” said Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird. “He has grown as a player, has improved and we expect him to continue to do so to be a part of what we do. He’s a hard worker with a variety of skills for a big man.”

JULY 27TH, 10:37am: It’ll be a two-year deal with the first season fully guaranteed, Shade tells Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link).

JULY 12TH, 7:56pm: The Pacers and forward Shayne Whittington have agreed to a one-year, guaranteed contract, reports RealGM’s Shams Charania, who spoke with Whittington’s agent, Ron Shade (Twitter link).

Whittington is a restricted free agent. In April, the Pacers assigned Whittington to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA D-League. It was the forward’s second trip to Fort Wayne last season.

Whittington, 24, averaged 2.9 points per game and only appeared in 20 games without making a start.

Eastern Notes: Larkin, Stuckey, Copeland

July 24th, 2015 at 8:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nets believe that the right system can bring out the potential that made Shane Larkin a first round pick back in 2013, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “I talked to [GM] Billy [King] and Lionel [Hollins] as soon as free agency started, and they told me they wanted me to come in and just play my game,” Larkin said. “I’m more of a pick-and-roll guy, up and down. “And that’s the thing they told me they wanted me to come in and do. For them to tell me they wanted me to come in push the tempo, bring some energy to the team, that was everything I wanted to hear.”

Larkin admits to having been uncomfortable playing in the Knicks‘ triangle offense last season, Youngmisuk adds. “I mean the triangle is a good offense if you have the type of players that fit within that offense,” Larkin said. “And I don’t feel like it was the best offense for me. I’m not talking bad about it. It’s a great offense. I wish them nothing but the best.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

The presence of former teammate Jason Kidd as coach was a major factor for Chris Copeland‘s decision to sign with the Bucks, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports writes. “The biggest hook for me was Jason Kidd, by far,” Copeland said. “Obviously, he was a friend of mine before all this. He was a great mentor for me in New York and someone I continue to grow under. An incredible mind on and off the floor.”
The final season of Jordan Mickey‘s four-year pact with the Celtics is a non-guaranteed team option, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
Brazilian big man Cristiano Felicio‘s contract with the Bulls is a two-year deal, and he will earn $525,093 in 2015/16 and $874,636 the following season, with both years non-guaranteed, Pincus relays (Twitter link).
Rodney Stuckey‘s three-year contract with the Pacers will see him earn $7MM each season, and includes a player option for the final year, Pincus relays (on Twitter).

Pacers Acquire Rakeem Christmas From Cavs

July 23rd, 2015 at 4:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pacers have acquired the rights to rookie forward Rakeem Christmas from the Cavaliers, the team has announced via a press release. Heading to Cleveland in the deal is the 2019 second round pick that Indiana acquired from the Lakers in the Roy Hibbert trade. “We really liked Rakeem when he came in for pre-draft workouts,” said Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird. “He is a solid player who was a contributor all four years at Syracuse and we look forward to having him on our team.”

Christmas, the No. 36 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, had been acquired by the Cavs on draft night from the Timberwolves in exchange for the rights to Duke point guard Tyus Jones. Cleveland did not sign Christmas to a rookie contract prior to shipping him to Indiana. Thus, the Pacers will have to negotiate a deal with Christmas before he joins the team.

The 23-year-old spent four seasons playing for Syracuse, and his career numbers with the Orangemen were 7.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks to go with a slash line of .560/.000/.681. Christmas saved his best work for his senior campaign, when he logged 17.5 PPG and 9.1 RPG.

Pacers Re-Sign Rodney Stuckey

July 21st, 2015 at 2:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

JULY 21ST, 2:13pm: The deal is official, the Pacers announced.

“I felt all along it was important to re-sign Rodney,” Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird said in the team’s statement. “He proved to us last year how much he could help. He’s a pro and a good teammate. We’re really happy to have him back. He added a lot to our team, on and off the court.”

JULY 5TH, 1:14pm: The Pacers and Rodney Stuckey have reached an agreement in principle on a deal worth $21MM over three years, reports Shams Charania of RealGM. Year three is a player option, Charania adds.

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Stuckey, 29, averaged 12.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 3.1 APG in 26.4 minutes per contest last season for Indiana. He put up a PER of 15.4, which was more or less in line with his career efficiency average (15.3). Stuckey moved on from the Pistons, where he spent the first seven years of his career, when he signed a one-year deal with the Pacers last summer. After earning the veteran’s minimum in 2014/15, Stuckey has gotten a significant raise on his new deal.

This summer, Stuckey has picked up free agent interest from teams including the Cavs, Rockets, and Kings. Right before the official start of free agency, Candace Buckner of the Indy Star reported that at least five teams had their eye on the guard. At the time, an anonymous basketball insider told Buckner that he believed Stuckey had a bad reputation that was not at all accurate.

“Moody, can’t be coached, bad guy, can’t win with him,” said an Eastern Conference official, repeating the circulated gossip. “Anybody that really knows him, would know … he’s one of the most misunderstood guys in the league.”

Stuckey is represented by Leon Rose of Creative Artists Agency, as shown in the Hoops Rumors Agency Database.

Central Notes: Butler, Ellis, Young

July 17th, 2015 at 9:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

There had been rumblings toward the end of the 2014/15 season that there was tension between Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose, with Rose supposedly becoming frustrated with Butler’s expanded offensive role with the Bulls, rumblings that Butler categorizes as false, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. “I think he’s always been supportive of me being aggressive, especially on offense,” Butler said. “We all know that I’ll be the aggressor on defense. So from what I can tell, the guy’s always been in my corner.”

The swingman believes the only reason his relationship with Rose was even discussed is because of Chicago’s season ending on a disappointing note in the NBA playoffs, Friedell adds. “The only reason that it came up is because we lost,” Butler said. “I don’t think we have any beef or whatever you want to call it. I think we just want to win. We didn’t win, so now [people say] we’re beefing, now we have a problem with each other, and I don’t think that’s the case.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The league has temporarily disallowed the four-year deal worth approximately $44MM that Monta Ellis inked with the Pacers, Zach Lowe of Grantland reports in a series of tweets. Lowe is quick to stress that Ellis will indeed become a member of the team, but Indiana simply ran out of necessary cap room, and will need to change the order in which some other transactions are finalized to make Ellis’ deal work.
The salaries that Ellis is set to earn with that Pacers contract are $10.3MM this coming season, $10,763,500 in 2016/17, $11.227MM in 2017/18, and he has a player option for the final season worth $11,690,500, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
Pacers 2015 second-rounder Joseph Young will be paid $1,007,026 and $1,052,342 the first two years of his deal, both of which are fully guaranteed, and $1,097,658, which is non-guaranteed, during the 2017/18 campaign, Pincus relays, adding that a fourth season, worth $1,142,974, is a team option (Twitter link).

Eastern Notes: Porzingis, Dellavedova, Ellis

July 15th, 2015 at 9:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Scout Clarence Gaines believed the Knicks should have taken Kristaps Porzingis first overall if they had won the draft lottery, Knicks GM Steve Mills said Monday on MSG Network, as Marc Berman of the New York Post relays. Mills and team president Phil Jackson weren’t quite ready to do that, Berman notes, but the Knicks dropped to fourth in the lottery and took Porzingis with that selection. Mills said he noticed Guillermo Hernangomez, the 35th overall pick whose rights New York acquired in a deal put together on draft night, on a scouting trip to see Porzingis, as Berman details, adding that the Knicks plan to sign Hernangomez in time for the 2016/17 season.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

There hasn’t been much progress made between restricted free agent Matthew Dellavedova and the Cavaliers, Chris Mannix of SI.com notes. The point guard is seeking a multiyear deal at around $4MM per season, Mannix relays, and Cleveland is reluctant to commit to that amount due to the luxury tax implications. Former Nets executive Bobby Marks (Twitter links) notes that even a $4MM annual commitment for Dellavedova would equate to that of a max salary player due to the approximate $14MM tax hit inking the guard would generate.
Celtics executive Danny Ainge views offseason additions David Lee and Amir Johnson as veterans who can help the team’s younger players grow, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald writes. “Veteran players teach young players how to play, how to live, how to make it through the rough times of a season,” Ainge said. “And they make young players better by their presence on the court. So it’s not always just about getting minutes for young players, although minutes are important in the process of development. But it’s also important for veterans to show the young players the way to play. Brandon Bass was a good guy to have on the team. You ask any good player in the NBA about the people who’ve had a positive impact on their careers and most every one of them will say some veteran that they played with as a youngster.”
Monta Ellis was sold on joining the Pacers when team executive Larry Bird told him he was the missing piece in the team’s championship puzzle, Michael Marot of The Associated Press writes. “He said all the right things,” Ellis said after signing his four-year, $44MM deal. “It was an easy choice. It made me feel great because they wanted me.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Raptors Sign Luis Scola

July 15th, 2015 at 9:32am CST by Eddie Scarito

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

JULY 15TH, 9:32am: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.

“Luis is an accomplished NBA and international player. We are thrilled to add his experience and leadership to our team and our locker room,” Raptors GM Masai Ujiri said in the team’s statement. “Luis is a winner wherever he goes.”

11:59pm: The agreement is for one year and approximately $3MM, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (on Twitter).

JULY 8TH, 11:29pm: The Raptors and unrestricted free agent Luis Scola have agreed to a deal, Scola announced via his Twitter account (h/t Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun). The length and terms of the deal have not yet been announced.

Scola spent the 2014/15 campaign with the Pacers, appearing in 81 games, including 16 as a starter, where he averaged 9.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 20.5 minutes per contest. His slash line was .467/.250/.699. Through eight NBA seasons, the 35-year-old has notched averages of 12.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 1.7 APG, with a shooting line of .497/.167/.742.

It was reported back in May that there was mutual interest in the forward returning to Indiana, but with the Pacers revamping their roster and aiming for a faster-paced offense, the Argentinian likely fell out of the organization’s plans. Instead he’ll head North to the Raptors where he’ll likely compete for minutes at the four spot with Patrick Patterson.

Pacers Ink Jordan Hill

July 14th, 2015 at 1:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

1:25pm: It’s a one-year, $5MM deal, tweets Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star.

JULY 14TH, 1:06pm: The deal is official, the team announced.

“We’re happy to have Jordan as part of our team,” Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird said. “He brings size and energy to our front court and we look forward to see how he plays an up-tempo game. We know he can rebound and score points for us and we look forward to having him.”

JULY 9TH, 6:49pm: The Pacers and unrestricted free agent Jordan Hill have committed to signing a contract, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reports (Twitter links). The length and amount of the deal is not yet known, as the details are still being worked out, Deveney adds.

This soon-to-be signing likely comes as a blow to the Mavericks, who were reportedly interested in Hill, as well as have a void at the pivot, which the 27-year-old could have helped fill. The Lakers had expressed interest in re-signing Hill, though the acquisition of Roy Hibbert likely ended any chance of Hill returning to Los Angeles next season. The Lakers had declined their $9MM team option on Hill for 2015/16.

Hill, a BDA Sports Management client, is coming off a career year for production. The five-year veteran averaged 12.0 points per game this past season, the first in which he’s put up a double-digit scoring average. His 7.9 rebounds and 26.8 minutes per game, as well as his 57 starts, were also career highs.

Pacers Sign Joseph Young

July 14th, 2015 at 12:25pm CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 12:25pm: The deal is official, the team announced.

12:20pm: The first two years are guaranteed, Charania adds.

MONDAY, 12:08pm: The Pacers and No. 43 overall pick Joseph Young have reached agreement on a four-year deal worth more than $4MM, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). Indiana appears poised to use a sliver of its cap room on the combo guard from the University of Oregon, who’s getting a deal more lucrative than the two years and nearly $1.4MM that the minimum-salary exception could provide. The most he could make in a four-year minimum-salary deal is $3,502,513, so he’s receiving more than the minimum in at least one of those seasons.

The 23-year-old has looked strong in the summer league, as Charania notes, averaging 22.5 points in 29.8 minutes per game in four appearances. He was a scorer in college, too, having put up 20.7 PPG in 36.7 MPG as a senior this past season. Young shot 39.0% from behind the arc for his college career, and he’s adept a getting to the hoop, too, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in his profile, having ranked him the 30th-best prospect in the draft.

Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress had him lower, at No. 53, so Young’s draft position largely split the difference between his projections. He’s a client of Kevin Bradbury, as Givony notes, and he projects to help fill the need for more perimeter players in Indiana’s new, more fast-paced approach.