Pacers Rumors

Pacers Sign Tony Bradley To Second 10-Day Deal

March 13: The signing is official, according to a team press release.


March 12: Tony Bradley‘s 10-day contract with the Pacers expired after Tuesday’s game, but the team doesn’t intend to let him go at this point, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, who reports that Indiana plans to sign the veteran center to a second 10-day deal.

The 28th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Bradley spent six years in the NBA from 2017-23, but wasn’t in the league last season and had gone more than two calendar years without playing in a regular season game before making four appearances for the Pacers during his first 10 days with the team.

Bradley saw mop-up action during those four appearances, logging just nine total minutes and registering six points, four rebounds, and a block in his limited action. Still, the Pacers apparently saw enough from the big man to feel confident about hanging onto him as their 15th man for at least 10 more days.

Bradley will continue to serve as the third center on Indiana’s depth chart behind Myles Turner and Thomas Bryant. The former UNC standout will earn $150,179 on his 10-day contract, bringing his total 20-day earnings to just over $300K, while the Pacers add another $119,972 to their cap.

The Pacers don’t play again until Friday in Philadelphia, so they may wait a day or two to officially complete Bradley’s new deal. If so, he’d be eligible to play in the team’s next six games. If his contract is finalized today, the 27-year-old could be active for up to five more games — in that scenario, his deal would expire the night before Indiana’s March 22 matchup with Brooklyn.

Once Bradley’s second 10-day contract is up, the Pacers would have to sign him for the rest of the season if they want to retain him.

Central Notes: T. Jones, Giannis, Haliburton, Atkinson

As an undersized pure point guard who rarely takes three-pointers, Tre Jones doesn’t really fit the Bulls‘ blueprint, but he has impressed the team since being acquired from San Antonio in last month’s Zach LaVine trade, averaging 9.6 points and 3.7 assists per game on .538/.429/.905 shooting in his first 13 outings with Chicago.

“He’s got the ‘it’ factor,” head coach Billy Donovan said of Jones, per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. “He really does. He’s just a winner. … You can look at size and length for his position and he probably doesn’t have any of those things. But he’s got really good speed. He’s really tough. He’s got a high IQ. He understands competition. He can really stay in the moment and compete.”

Jones played well for San Antonio in 2022/23 and ’23/24 as the Spurs’ primary point guard, putting up averages of 11.4 PPG and 6.4 APG on 48.0% shooting across those two years. But he took a back seat to Chris Paul this season and saw his playing time and production crater before he was dealt to the Bulls at the deadline.

Now, as he nears the end of his current contract, Jones is looking more like his old self, increasing his value ahead of free agency — and potentially making a case for Chicago to retain him, though that will likely depend on the team’s other offseason roster decisions.

“I know he’s going into free agency and we’ll see how that plays out,” Donovan said. “But when you talk about a guy you want to have for 82 nights — and I’m not saying he’s always perfect — but he understands competition. He understands what goes into it. That’s what you want.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • As we outlined last week, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is taking and making mid-range shots at a higher rate this season than he ever has before. Jamal Collier of ESPN digs deeper into that trend, noting that Antetokounmpo wanted to develop a reliable mid-range game in part to reduce the physical pounding his body was taking when he was relying more on playing inside and getting to the basket. “I’m in my thirties, obviously, (and) I believe that I have four (to) six years, still, of good basketball to give, but I got to be smarter,” Antetokounmpo said. “I got to be smarter in the way I play.”
  • The Pacers went 0-3 with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined due to a hip injury in the past week, culminating with head coach Rick Carlisle, frustrated by how his starters were playing, pulling all five of them at once in the third quarter of Monday’s loss in Chicago, as Dustin Dopriak of The Indianapolis Star details. So it was good news for Indiana that Haliburton was back in action on Tuesday vs. the division-rival Bucks. The star point guard capped his return by completing a ridiculous four-point play in the game’s final seconds to steal a win for the Pacers (Twitter video link). ESPN has the story.
  • In a subscriber-only story for The New York Post, Brian Lewis takes a look at how Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has grown as a coach since he was “unceremoniously” pushed out the door by the Nets in 2020. “When you’re a first-time coach, you’re searching. You have your thoughts and ideas, but you’re searching for that identity,” said Atkinson, the favorite to be named Coach of the Year this season. “I think later on in Brooklyn as we got to that playoff that third year, I started to know. That’s when I really started (to think), ‘OK, I can coach in this league. I know what I’m doing. I kind of know what our identity is.’ Then the second time around, I was much more comfortable just coming in.”

Injury Notes: J. Williams, Haliburton, Porzingis, Beal

A Monday loss to Denver won’t hurt the Thunder in the standings at all, given that they still hold an 11-game lead on their Northwest rivals. But a loss that occurred in the second quarter of the game may be of greater concern for the Thunder — forward Jalen Williams sustained a right hip injury and was ruled out for the second half due to a hip strain, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

According to MacMahon, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault didn’t have any additional details on Williams’ injury after the game, simply telling reporters that the 23-year-old would be evaluated on Tuesday. Once that evaluation is completed, the team should have a better idea of how much time – if any – Williams will have to miss.

The 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Williams quickly emerged as a full-time starter and crucial contributor for the West’s top team. In 61 games this season, he’s averaging career highs of 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per contest.

Here are a few more health-related updates from around the NBA:

  • Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton missed a third consecutive game on Monday due to a left hip flexor strain, as Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes. “Tyrese is not ready,” head coach Rick Carlisle said during his pregame media session. “He’s out. He’s getting closer, he’s just not there yet. Not sure where this is going to be (Tuesday for the home game against the Bucks) but today is not the day.” Indiana is now 0-4 without Haliburton available this season, so the team will be hoping his absence doesn’t last much longer.
  • Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis has now been out for six consecutive games and nearly two full weeks due to illness. He took to Twitter on Monday to explain his lengthy layoff. “I have been dealing with some viral illness that we haven’t been able to fully identify yet,” Porzingis wrote. “I am recovering and getting better. But still working my way back to full strength to help this team. Thanks for support and I’m hoping for a healthy return soon.”
  • Suns guard Bradley Beal was held out of the second end of a back-to-back set on Monday as the team continues to manage his calf, says Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Beal missed five games in November with a left calf strain and two more in late February with left calf tightness. The club will continue to keep an eye on that issue going forward, Rankin adds, so it’s possible the veteran will continue to miss the occasional game down the stretch.

Pacers’ Pascal Siakam Fined $25K By NBA

Pacers forward Pascal Siakam has been fined $25K for “confronting and directing profane language toward game officials” following Saturday’s game in Atlanta, the league announced in a press release.

Siakam, who made his third All-Star appearance last month, finished the two-point loss with 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block in 34 minutes. He shot 8-of-19 from the floor while making all six of his free throw attempts.

Aside from a couple of technical fouls, which cost him a total of $4K, this is the first time Siakam has been fined this season, according to Spotrac. In fact, it’s the first time he has been publicly fined since 2021.

As an unrestricted free agent last summer, Siakam re-signed with the Pacers on a four-year, $189MM contract. He’s earning about $42.2MM this season, so losing $25K won’t affect him much financially.

Indiana faces the Bulls in Chicago on Monday, followed by a home game vs. Milwaukee on Tuesday.

And-Ones: Ellis, Butler Jr., Stretch-Run Goals, Harper, Bailey

The Indiana Mad Ants, the Pacers’ NBA G League affiliate, acquired the rights to Boogie Ellis from the Stockton Kings in a three-team trade, Sacramento radio reporter Sean Cunningham tweets.

The rookie guard out of USC has made 19 G League appearances this season, including three starts. Ellis averaged 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 21.7 minutes per game for Stockton. He participated in Sacramento’s training camp after going undrafted but was waived before the start of the season.

The Mad Ants traded Kyle Mangas to the Austin Spurs, who dealt the returning player rights of Matt Lewis and their 2026 first-round pick to the Stockton Kings.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • In more G League news,  the Wisconsin Herd (Bucks) acquired the rights to John Butler Jr. from the Capital City Go-Go (Wizards), Milwaukee’s affiliate tweets. The Go-Go received a 2026 first round and 2026 second round pick and the rights to Darryl Morsell. Butler, who started his NBA career with Portland, had a two-way contract with Washington for part of last season. He also participated in Washington’s camp this season but was waived prior to the opener. Butler made 34 appearances, including 10 starts, with the Go-Go this season. He scored 12 points in his first outing with Washington’s affiliate.
  • What are the stretch-run goals for each NBA team the remainder of this season? The Athletic received input from its various beat writers on that topic. For Cleveland, it’s going for 70 wins. For the Knicks, it’s integrating Mitchell Robinson into the lineup. For Milwaukee, it’s getting home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
  • While Rutgers had a mediocre season, the Scarlet Knights have two of the premier lottery picks in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. ESPN’s Jeremy Woo polled NBA executives on the duo. Harper drew comparisons to All-Star Cade Cunningham, while Bailey was likened to Brandon Miller. Bailey might be the top offensive prospect in the draft and have the highest ceiling of any prospect, according to one executive.

Central Notes: Dosunmu, Walker, Jerome, Pistons

Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, who was scheduled to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery on Wednesday, said on Tuesday that he’s still not sure when the initial injury – a fracture along the back side of his left shoulder – occurred, according to Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune.

“It is kind of bizarre just knowing that there was a fracture there,” Dosunmu said. “It was something that I played on — and I think I could have continued to play on. But I don’t know, for whatever reason the last time (he aggravated the injury), it probably knocked it out in a different way, because it was a different pain than I previously felt.”

Dosunmu will be entering the final year of his current contract in 2025/26 as he comes back from his procedure on his shoulder. As Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times observes, that would be a stressful situation for many NBA players, but the Bulls guard welcomes the challenge of returning from this injury, having a big contract year, and helping the team take a step forward.

“I thrive in situations like that,” Dosunmu said. “I thrive in adversity, proving people wrong, wherever the doubters may be. . . . I’m excited for the rehab process. Like I said, taking it one day at a time. Just looking at it as a blessing in disguise.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • Pacers forward Jarace Walker, who hasn’t been part of the rotation for the past month, continues to handle his demotion admirably, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. As Dopirak details, the former eighth overall pick hadn’t been assigned to the G League all season before this week, but welcomed the opportunity to suit up for the Indiana Mad Ants and see legitimate game action on Monday. “I’m not gonna lie, I was excited,” said Walker, who ended up posting a triple-double (20 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists) for the Pacers’ G League affiliate. “Any time I can work on my game, hoop, have fun, still be with the guys, it’s a good experience for me. I had a great time. It was kind of a no-brainer.”
  • In a subscriber-only story for Cleveland.com, Chris Fedor considers whether the Cavaliers can – and will – re-sign Ty Jerome when he reaches free agency this summer following a breakout season. As Fedor writes, the Cavs are headed into apron territory next season, but will have the ability to make Jerome a competitive offer using his Early Bird rights if they’re comfortable further increasing their team salary.
  • The Pistons‘ decision to bring in Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. as veteran leaders last summer has paid major dividends. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press takes a closer look at the positive impact the “Uncle T’s” have had in Detroit’s locker room this season.

Pacers Sign Tony Bradley To 10-Day Contract

March 2: Bradley’s contract is official, the Pacers announced (via Twitter).


March 1: The Pacers intend to use their open 15-man roster spot to bring in center Tony Bradley on a 10-day contract, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Bradley, 27, has appeared in a total of 179 regular season games for four NBA teams since being selected 28th overall in the 2017 draft. He holds career averages of 4.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 11.1 minutes per game with the Jazz, Sixers, Thunder, and Bulls.

The 6’11” center wasn’t in the NBA at all last season, having spent the year with the Texas Legends in the G League.

He has played in the NBAGL since the start of the 2024/25 campaign too, appearing in 24 total Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games for the College Park Skyhawks and averaging 14.0 PPG, 10.6 RPG, and 1.1 BPG in just 22.8 MPG.

The Pacers entered the season with Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman vying for backup minutes behind starting center Myles Turner, but both reserves suffered season-ending Achilles tears in the fall, leaving the team short on frontcourt depth.

Indiana traded for Thomas Bryant in December but has remained on the lookout for a third option in the middle. The team reportedly reached a tentative agreement with Alex Len before he decided to join the Lakers instead. The Pacers also brought in Jahlil Okafor on a 10-day contract last month. The 15th spot on their roster has been empty since Okafor’s 10-day deal expired.

Bradley will earn $150,179 on his 10-day contract, while the Pacers carry a cap hit of $119,972. If Indiana waits until Sunday to complete the signing, the deal will cover the team’s next six games before expiring on the night of March 11. At that time, the Pacers would have the option of signing Bradley to a second 10-day contract.

Central Notes: Pistons, Beasley, Haliburton, Giannis, Jackson

The Pistons delivered a statement victory on Wednesday, defeating the Celtics — who entered with a six-game winning streak — by 20 points. Detroit has won eight straight, its longest streak since the 2007/08 season.

“We knew this was going to be a tough challenge for us, but we’re just focused on the process of it all,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “We’re not looking past tonight or at what we’ve done in the past. The only thing we’re focusing on is every single night trying to be the best version of ourselves and tonight I think we were pretty close.”

Malik Beasley, a free agent after the season, continued to provide a huge boost off the bench with 26 points in 22 minutes.

That shot-making ability just lifts people up,” Bickerstaff said. “When he’s hot and that ball’s in the air, you can tell when the ball leaves his hands and is taking the crowd’s breath away.”

We have more from the Central Division:

  • Tyrese Haliburton looks rejuvenated after some rest and relaxation during the All-Star break, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star notes. Over the last four games, the Pacers guard is averaging 25.8 points per game on 63.2% shooting, including 52.6% of his 3-point attempts. He’s also averaging 11.8 assists during that stretch, compared to just 1.0 turnover per game. “I’m just playing free, having fun,” Haliburton said. “It always helps to see the first one go in. You just kind of react from there. I just thought I did a good job of staying aggressive all night, doing what was needed.”
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo was yanked to the floor via a hard foul by Houston’s Amen Thompson Tuesday night but the Bucks superstar said he had “no hard feelings” toward the Rockets‘ wing, according to Kristie Rieken of The Associated Press. Thompson was ejected after an officials’ review. “At the end of the day like you don’t wanna have a league that’s soft,” Antetokounmpo said. “I love guys that play hard. I love guys that they’re great competitors. I’m one of those guys. Sometimes your competitive nature gets in the way (of) making the best decision, the best judgment at the time. And I feel like he wanted to make it a hard foul, but he grabbed my neck.”
  • Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. has seen his minutes shrink this month and coach Doc Rivers indicated that roster moves are the reason, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. “Midseason trade. We brought in other guys that I think fill his role,” Rivers said. “His numbers were not great, with Giannis on the floor, those two guys together.”

Josh Giddey Is Only 2025 RFA To Meet Starter Criteria So Far

When a player on an expiring contract is eligible for restricted free agency, his qualifying offer is determined in part by whether or not he met the “starter criteria” during the season – or two seasons – leading up to his free agency. As we explain in our glossary entry, a player meets the starter criteria when he achieves one of the following:

  • He plays at least 2,000 minutes or starts 41 games in the season before he reaches free agency.
  • He averages either 2,000 minutes or 41 starts in the two seasons prior to his restricted free agency.

If a top-14 pick coming to the end of his rookie contract fails to meet the starter criteria, the value of his qualifying offer declines. Conversely a player who was drafted at No. 10 or later or who went undrafted altogether can increase the value of his qualifying offer by meeting the starter criteria.

In many cases, an increase or decrease to a qualifying offer won’t materially affect the player’s restricted free agency, since a QO is just a one-year contract offer issued in order for the team to retain its right of first refusal. The player has the option of accepting it, but in most cases it functions as a placeholder until the RFA signs an offer sheet with a rival team or negotiates a new multiyear contract with his current team.

Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, for example, will likely sign a lucrative long-term deal when he reaches free agency this summer, so it won’t matter all that much if he falls short of the starter criteria and his QO drops from the standard amount of $10,240,287 to $7,976,830.

But for a player who is less likely to secure a significant payday but still a good bet to receive a qualifying offer, a difference of a few million dollars between potential QOs could have a major impact on how his free agency plays out. That difference may affect how willing a team is to put the qualifying offer on the table and how likely the player is to simply accept it.

With all that in mind, it’s worth checking in on which potential 2025 restricted free agents have actually met the starter criteria so far this season and which ones are on track to do so. The first list is a short one: Bulls guard Josh Giddey is the only player to meet the starter criteria so far.

Giddey had a huge head-start because he made 80 starts for Oklahoma City in 2023/24, meaning he just needed to make two starts this season in order to achieve an average of 41 for the past two seasons. He made his second start for the Bulls way back on October 25, which means his qualifying offer this summer will be $11,142,057 instead of dropping to $7,976,830.

None of the 10 other potential restricted free agents have met the starter criteria though. Of those players, the following three were lottery picks, with their default qualifying offers noted in parentheses:

  1. Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors ($10,240,287)
  2. Davion Mitchell, Heat ($8,741,210)
  3. Ziaire Williams, Nets ($8,353,153)

Kuminga has only started 10 games this season and will fall short of the starter criteria, which will bump his QO down to $7,976,830. Mitchell and Williams still have a chance to get there though — Mitchell has 28 starts under his belt, while Williams has 26. They both need to reach 41 to achieve the starter criteria, and they’ve been regular starters for their respective teams as of late. If they hang onto their starting jobs and stay healthy, they’ll surpass 41 starts.

Again, Kuminga’s free agency is unlikely to be affected by his smaller qualifying offer, since his offer will likely just serve as a placeholder and a last-resort fallback option. Maybe the Nets will be slightly less inclined to give Williams a qualifying offer if it’s worth $8.35MM instead of $7.98MM, but that’s such a small gap that it’s unlikely to affect the team’s QO decision either way. The same goes for Mitchell and the Heat.

The other seven players on expiring contracts who are eligible for restricted free agency are Cam Thomas (Nets), Santi Aldama (Grizzlies), Quentin Grimes (Sixers), Tre Mann (Hornets), Isaiah Jackson (Pacers), Day’Ron Sharpe (Nets), and Jabari Walker (Trail Blazers). Jaden Springer, Chris Duarte, and Bones Hyland were also part of this group before being waived this month.

Of those players, only Thomas has a realistic chance of meeting the starter criteria. He started 51 games last season, which means he needs to get to 31 this season. He’s at 17 and the Nets have 25 left to play. If Thomas can return from his hamstring strain relatively soon, which seems likely, he has a good shot at starting 14 games and reaching the necessary threshold. That would increase his QO from $5,993,172 to $8,741,210.

The others will remain eligible for their standard QOs, based on draft position (or their prior salary, in Walker’s case), as follows:

  1. Tre Mann, Hornets ($6,964,982)
  2. Isaiah Jackson, Pacers ($6,422,431)
  3. Quentin Grimes, Sixers ($6,311,825)
  4. Day’Ron Sharpe, Nets ($5,983,683)
  5. Santi Aldama, Grizzlies ($5,940,797)
  6. Jabari Walker, Trail Blazers ($2,524,624)

Checking In On Open NBA Roster Spots

There has been no shortage of free agent signings across the NBA since the trade deadline, but several clubs still have at least one open roster spot as we near the home stretch of the season.

Using our roster counts tracker, let’s check in on which teams have openings and which are most likely to fill them in the short term.


Teams with multiple open spots on their standard 15-man rosters:

  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • Sacramento Kings

The Pelicans and Kings are both currently carrying 13 players on standard contracts, which teams are permitted to do for up to 14 days at a time or 28 days in total during a season.

New Orleans dipped down to 13 players last Thursday by buying out Javonte Green, which means the club will have until next Thursday (March 6) to get back to 14 players. Two-way player Brandon Boston is considered a strong candidate for a promotion, though he’s still eight games away from his 50-game limit because he has been out since February 8 with a sprained ankle.

Sacramento, meanwhile, dropped to 13 players when Daishen Nix‘s 10-day contract expired last Monday night. The Kings need to re-add a 14th man by next Tuesday (March 4) in order to adhere to the NBA’s roster rules.

Teams with one open spot on their standard 15-man rosters:

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Golden State Warriors
    • Note: Two of the Warriors’ 14 players are on 10-day contracts.
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New York Knicks

The Celtics, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Knicks are all deep into luxury tax territory and may not be in any rush to add a 15th man, since that player would cost exponentially more once tax penalties are taken into account. New York is currently restricted by a hard cap but could sign a player as soon as February 28.

The Hawks and Pacers have enough breathing room below the tax not to worry about surpassing that line, so they may look to add someone sooner rather than later, perhaps on a 10-day contract.

The Warriors, meanwhile, will dip back to 12 players once the 10-day contracts for Kevin Knox and Yuri Collins expire this Friday night. Golden State has some hard-cap issues to navigate for the rest of the season and might not want to get back to 14 players right away.

Teams with full standard 15-man rosters that include one 10-day contract:

  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
  • Washington Wizards

These teams each have 14 players on standard contracts and one on a 10-day deal. With one exception, they’re all below the tax line and could continue cycling through 10-day signings or add a player on a rest-of-season contract when their current 10-day deals expire.

The one exception is Dallas. The Mavericks are right up against their hard cap, so once Moses Brown‘s 10-day contract ends, they won’t be able to bring in a new 15th man (or bring Brown back) until April 10.

Teams with an open two-way slot:

  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Golden State Warriors

The Warriors will reportedly fill their open two-way slot with Australian guard Taran Armstrong, so the Nets are really the only team with a two-way spot available, having promoted Tyrese Martin to a standard contract last Thursday.

It’s a pretty safe bet Brooklyn will fill that opening at some point before March 4, which is the deadline for two-way signings. You can also count on several other teams promoting, waiving, and signing two-way players before that deadline.