Indiana Pacers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacers’ James Wiseman Suffers Torn Achilles Tendon

October 24th, 2024 at 4:04pm CST by Rory Maher

Pacers backup center James Wiseman sustained a torn left Achilles tendon in Wednesday’s season opener vs. Detroit, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).

According to Charania, Wiseman and the team are working together to evaluate treatment options. Wiseman underwent an MRI on Thursday which confirmed the injury, according to a press release from the Pacers.

Wiseman suffered the injury in the first quarter while backpedaling after a missed three-point attempt (YouTube link via ESPN). He glanced behind him as though someone had kicked his leg, but there was no contact, a common sign of an Achilles injury.

It’s a devastating blow for the former No. 2 overall pick, who signed a two-year, minimum-salary deal with Indiana as a free agent over the summer. While Wiseman’s $2.2MM salary for 2024/25 is currently only partially guaranteed for $500K, it will likely become fully guaranteed due to the injury, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). The Pacers hold a team option on Wiseman’s contract for ’25/26.

Wiseman had played well in the preseason, Marks notes, averaging 8.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game. The 23-year-old big man seemed to be ahead of fourth-year center Isaiah Jackson on the depth chart, and had six points in four minutes on Wednesday prior to the injury.

Wiseman has dealt with several injuries in his young career, including missing the entire ’21/22 season following knee surgery. Through four seasons, he was limited to just 148 games, and now will likely be out until at least next fall after tearing his Achilles.

The Pacers, who have an open roster spot, have a few different options for replacing Wiseman’s minutes. Jackson is the other primary center off the bench, but they could also go small, with forwards Obi Toppin, Jarace Walker and Enrique Freeman all receiving playing time yesterday.

Central Notes: Lillard, Nembhard, Thompson

October 23rd, 2024 at 5:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bucks All-Star point guard Damian Lillard is gearing up for his second season in Milwaukee, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. The 6’2″ vet had a disappointing start to his tenure with the team in 2023/24.

The 34-year-old, on the cusp of his 13th season officially tipping off Wednesday, reflected on his reputation around the league and spoke about how winning a title alongside All-NBA Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo could affect his legacy.

“You would think if I won it, there would be nothing that they could say, but I think people know how f—ing good I am,” Lillard said. “People know — at least the people who know what they’re watching — or I wouldn’t have been on the 75th anniversary team. If you’re talking about fans and people that are on TV just randomly saying their opinion, it’s like, ‘All right.’”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Versatile Pacers combo guard Andrew Nembhard, who signed an extension with the team this offseason, has been happy to slot in as an jack-of-all-trades role player in Indiana, toggling between the bench and the starting lineup throughout his two seasons thus far, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link). “He’s our Swiss Army knife. He can play point guard when Ty [Tyrese Haliburton] is getting pressured,” reserve guard T.J. McConnell said. “He can be the two. He can even be the three and he can guard any position. He’s been incredible and he continues to get better.”
Second-year Pistons wing Ausar Thompson has been ruled out for the club’s 2024/25 regular season opener Wednesday night as he continues his comeback from a blood clot that ended his rookie season prematurely, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Detroit is still waiting for official clearance from the league regarding when Thompson will be permitted to return to action, Sankofa tweets. The 6’7″ swingman appeared in 63 contests for Detroit, averaging 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
In case you missed it, the Bulls opted not to sign newly acquired point guard Josh Giddey to a contract extension in time for the preseason deadline. He will become a restricted free agent next summer.

Ben Sheppard Faces Increased Competition For Bench Minutes

October 20th, 2024 at 9:22am CST by Arthur Hill

Ben Sheppard was a valuable member of the Pacers‘ second unit last season, but it won’t be easy to earn the same level of playing time in a crowded rotation, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Bennedict Mathurin will soak up a lot of the bench minutes as he returns from injury, and Sheppard will be competing for time at the wing spots with Mathurin and Jarace Walker, two high lottery picks. “I just say every chance I get to step on the floor I’m just trying to showcase the player that I am,” Sheppard said. “I’m just a team player, a high IQ player that just plays the right way. I feel like every time I go out there, I don’t need to do anything outside of my skill set.”

Kuminga, Suggs, Giddey Among Extension Candidates Seeking $30MM+ Annually

October 19th, 2024 at 10:43am CST by Tristan Tucker

The deadline for teams to sign players to rookie scale contract extensions falls on Monday and will force several clubs to make tough decisions.

The Warriors have two players under consideration for rookie scale extensions: Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. As we relayed Friday evening, Moody appears more likely than Kuminga to receive an extension by Monday. Moody is in line to receive minutes at the wing spot in the wake up Klay Thompson‘s departure, and NBA insider Jake Fischer reports he could earn more than $10MM per season on his extension (Threads link).

However, Kuminga is seeking a near-max contract that would pay him north of $30MM annually. According to Fischer, the Warriors have “never seemed intent” on paying the forward that kind of money ahead of the season. That tracks with earlier reporting, which suggested that both sides are content to wait to see if Kuminga takes another step forward in 2024/25 and helps propel the team back into contention as its second- or third-best player. In that scenario, he would presumably be rewarded in restricted free agency next offseason.

Moody averaged 8.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game last season while Kuminga broke out, averaging 16.1 PPG on 52.9% shooting from the field.

We have more on this year’s rookie scale extension candidates:

According to Fischer, Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson is facing a similar situation to Kuminga. However, there’s “far more optimism” that the Hawks and Johnson will finalize a deal worth north of $30MM each year, which is said to be the starting point for negotiations with the former Duke standout. Johnson broke out in a big way last season, jumping from 5.6 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 2022/23 to 16.0 PPG and 8.7 RPG. He’s primed to be a long-term fixture in Atlanta as one of the Hawks’ franchise cornerstones.
Magic guard Jalen Suggs is seeking an extension worth more than $30MM annually in talks with Orlando, NBA insider Marc Stein reports (Twitter link). It’s unclear whether or not Orlando is prepared to make that sort of offer, but Suggs emerged as one of the best defensive guards in the league last season, earning a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team, averaging 12.6 PPG and 1.4 SPG, improving his outside shooting to 39.7%, and helping the young Magic to a 47-win season.
Immanuel Quickley‘s five-year, $162.5MM contract with the Raptors is said to have set a benchmark for young guards across the league, Fischer says, confirming previous reporting. Bulls guard/forward Josh Giddey is also seeking at least $30MM per year on his next extension. However, the Bulls are more interested in seeing how Giddey fits with the team before committing that kind of money to him. Chicago traded Alex Caruso for Giddey in June.
The Rockets haven’t been willing to this point to approach a maximum-salary deal for either Jalen Green or Alperen Sengun, according to Fischer. We relayed Friday that the Rockets have held productive conversations with both players, submitting offers to each, but that those offers were below the max. Fischer indicates that Houston is completely fine with not agreeing to terms with either before the year begins.
Clippers guard Bones Hyland and Nets young players Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe are not expected to agree to terms on a rookie scale extension, according to Fischer. However, there remains some optimism that Hornets guard Tre Mann, Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson and Wizards wing Corey Kispert will be able to sign extensions by Monday’s deadline.
Quentin Grimes has emerged as a real candidate to receive an extension by Monday, according to Stein (Twitter link). Grimes was acquired by the Mavericks in exchange for Tim Hardaway Jr. this offseason and he’s averaged 8.5 PPG across three NBA seasons. His deal would presumably be in the ballpark of Moody’s, perhaps a bit more than $10MM per year.

Central Notes: Drummond, Pistons, Bucks, Rivers, Garland, Carlisle

October 18th, 2024 at 11:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers center Andre Drummond spent the first seven-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career in Detroit, earning a pair of All-Star nods and leading the league in rebounding four times during his tenure with the Pistons. Even though the team only made the playoffs twice during that time and was swept out of the first round in both instances, Drummond looks back fondly on his stint with the franchise and hopes to eventually return.

“I call Detroit home to this day,” Drummond said on the Run Your Race podcast (YouTube link). “I still have a house in Detroit, just because of the connection that I have with the city. I feel like I became a man in that city. … I grew up so much there. I met some of my best friends there. I built a relationship with the fanbase and the community in Detroit.

“I’ve always said it, I want to finish my career there. The year I’m trying to retire, I want to finish in Detroit. Because that’s where I started and I want to finish there.”

Drummond is the second all-time rebounder in Pistons history, behind only Bill Laimbeer. He also ranks third in blocked shots on the franchise leaderboard.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Sam Amick of The Athletic spoke to Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard and head coach Doc Rivers to get a sense of why the team is confident it will be better in 2024/25 than it was in ’23/24. “This year, a challenge for me is to be healthy,” Antetokounmpo said. “A challenge for me is to play in the playoffs, to get out of the f—ing first round. Assert myself even more. Every year for me is important because one day, I’m going to be 35 or 36 or 38 and I’m going to be like, ‘Oh, my prime just went, and I wasn’t able to do something.’ So dominate.”
In a separate interview with Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Rivers spoke about his enthusiasm for the upcoming season with the Bucks and defended his coaching record, pointing out that he’s constantly been in situations where he knows he’ll be criticized for anything less than a championship. “If you look at my path since leaving Boston, I’ve intentionally put myself in win-or-failure positions, knowing that in a lot of cases that if we fail, it’s on me,” Rivers said. “But if I’ve learned anything from my journey with Boston and how long it took me as a coach to get there, I want that position more than the, ‘Well, we can be fifth seed if some things go right’ position.”
After a trying 2023/24 season that included the death of his grandmother and a broken jaw that left him drinking out of a straw for weeks, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland says his “joy is back” ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. Chris Fedor has the story in a subscriber-only feature for Cleveland.com.
A resolution has been reached in a civil lawsuit filed by former agent Jarinn Akana against Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Akana alleged that Carlisle breached their contract by refusing to pay the full commission owed to the agent as a result of his 2018 extension with the Mavericks. A trial had been scheduled for April 28, 2025, but that court date will be avoided as a result of the resolution (the terms of which are confidential).

And-Ones: Role Players, Mays, JTA, Dekker, Breakout Candidates

October 18th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Rory Maher

Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell is an example of a solid role player on a reasonable contract who has risen in prominence due to the roster building restrictions of the new CBA, as Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic details. McConnell signed a four-year, $45MM extension this offseason, though only the first two years are fully guaranteed.

“I’ve played the same way, I feel like, since I’ve gotten into the league,” he said. “The people that are best at adapting and changing, especially as role players, are the ones that last. And that’s what I’ve tried to do, play my game, but also adapt and change to what my team needs me to do.”

With stars frequently earning anywhere from 25-35% of the salary cap, and the league’s top spenders dealing with the ramifications of the tax aprons, finding role players who outperform their contracts has become even more important than it was previously, Thompson writes.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Former NBA guard Skylar Mays has officially signed a one-year deal with Turkish EuroLeague club Fenerbahce, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. The move was expected, with reports out of Europe stating Mays was expected to be an injury replacement for veteran guard Scottie Wilbekin, who sustained a torn ACL. Mays, 27, split last season with the Trail Blazers and Lakers. Minnesota released him from his Exhibit 10 deal to give him the opportunity to sign with Fenerbahce.
Free agent forward Juan Toscano-Anderson has re-signed with the NBA G League’s Mexico City Capitanes, the team announced (via Twitter). A five-year veteran, Toscano-Anderson spent a little over a month with the Kings last season, appearing in 11 games for 53 total minutes. He spent the rest of the 2023/24 season with the Capitanes.
In an interesting interview with Marc Stein (Substack link), veteran forward Sam Dekker discussed how he’s reinvented his game playing for the London Lions and why the implementation of a new salary cap system has complicated his situation in the British Basketball League. A former first-round pick (18th overall in 2015), the 30-year-old last played in the NBA in 2021 but he hasn’t given up on making it back — he worked out for the Warriors, Sixers and Bucks in June, though none of those sessions led to a contract offer.
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports lists five breakout candidates for the 2024/25 season, including Hornets wing Brandon Miller, who was the No. 2 overall pick of last year’s draft.

Pacers Exercise Three 2025/26 Options, Waive Cole Swider

October 18th, 2024 at 4:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have completed a series of transactions, announcing in a press release that they’ve exercised their 2025/26 team options on swingman Bennedict Mathurin, forward Jarace Walker, and guard Ben Sheppard. The team also requested waivers on forward Cole Swider.

The option pick-ups are fairly routine housekeeping moves that ensure all three recent first-round picks now have guaranteed salaries for at least one more season beyond ’24/25. Mathurin’s fourth-year option is worth $9,187,573, while Walker’s third-year option is worth $6,665,520 and Sheppard’s will pay him $2,790,720.

Mathurin will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2025 offseason, while Indiana will have fourth-year option decisions to make on Walker and Sheppard next fall.

The release of Swider is the most notable transaction in the bunch, as the Pacers’ decision to cut Kendall Brown earlier this week seemingly paved the way for Swider to earn a spot on the 15-man regular season roster. Still, Indiana isn’t far below the luxury tax line, so the club may opt to open the regular season with just 14 players on standard contracts, leaving that final spot open to maximize its roster and financial flexibility.

Of course, regular season rosters don’t have to be finalized until Monday, so there’s still time for the Pacers to make additional moves. As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes, the team could theoretically promote one of its current two-way players to a standard deal and bring back Swider on a two-way contract. However, there have been no reports yet suggesting that’s the plan.

Swider’s non-guaranteed training camp contract with the Pacers didn’t include Exhibit 10 language, so it doesn’t appear likely that he’ll end up with the Indiana Mad Ants, the team’s G League affiliate.

Cole Swider Could Get Standard Deal Or Two-Way Contract With Pacers

October 16th, 2024 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cole Swider seems like a good bet to make the Pacers‘ roster after Kendall Brown was waived Tuesday, but it’s not certain that he’ll receive a standard contract, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Indiana could decide to open up a two-way slot for Swider, who is in camp on a non-guaranteed deal.

Southwest Notes: Doncic, Spurs, Kennard, Rockets, Ingram, Zion

October 16th, 2024 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks star Luka Doncic likely won’t play in the team’s preseason finale vs. Milwaukee on Thursday, head coach Jason Kidd told reporters today. However, Doncic went through a full practice on Wednesday and did “really, really well,” Kidd said, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Twitter link).

Doncic was diagnosed with a left calf contusion during the early days of training camp. At the time, it was deemed a minor injury that wasn’t expected to affect his availability for the team’s regular season opener on October 24.

Despite the fact that Doncic may not end up playing a single minute this preseason, it still doesn’t sound as if his ability to return for next Thursday’s game vs. San Antonio is in any doubt, given that he’s fully participating in practice more than a week out from opening night.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Based on the way Gregg Popovich has managed his rotation this preseason, it appears likely the Spurs will open the season with a starting five of Chris Paul, Julian Champagnie, Jeremy Sochan, Harrison Barnes, and Victor Wembanyama, with Keldon Johnson, Stephon Castle, Zach Collins, and Blake Wesley also getting regular minutes, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). However, Popovich said his rotation isn’t set in stone yet, and obviously it’s subject to change once Devin Vassell is ready to return from his foot injury, Orsborn notes.
The Spurs received $2MM in cash from the Kings in the Jalen McDaniels trade, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Marks also fills in the cash details from a couple of the Spurs’ offseason trades, confirming that San Antonio received $1MM from the Pacers for moving from No. 35 to No. 36 in the draft and $110K from the Hornets in the Devonte’ Graham salary dump.
Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard was feeling some soreness in his foot after Monday’s game in Indiana, according to head coach Taylor Jenkins, who said that Kennard may have to miss some time as a result of the ailment (Twitter link via Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal).
The Rockets‘ preseason win over New Orleans on Tuesday showed how they can benefit this fall from offseason continuity after making significant roster changes in 2023, says Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “We’ve been playing with each other since last year,” veteran forward Jeff Green said. “We know what we want to do. We know what the goal is out there.” As Christian Clark of NOLA.com observes, Tuesday’s game was the first of the preseason for Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, while Zion Williamson sat out for what head coach Willie Green called a “rest day.”

Pacers Sign, Cut Jahlil Okafor; Kendall Brown Also Waived

October 15th, 2024 at 4:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers have signed veteran big man Jahlil Okafor to an Exhibit 10 contract and subsequently waived him, according to a team press release. The team has also cut Kendall Brown.

Okafor was the third pick of the 2015 draft and began his career in Philadelphia but never quite lived up to his draft status. The 28-year-old has been out of the NBA since the 2020/21 season, when he appeared in 27 games with Detroit. He was traded to Brooklyn that summer and later signed with Atlanta, but wasn’t able to win a roster spot with either team.

Okafor resumed his basketball career overseas, playing in China and Spain before signing with a Puerto Rican team in February. He also spent time in the G League and was among the players selected by Phoenix’s new affiliate in the expansion draft in June. The Pacers’ affiliate, the Indiana Mad Ants, recently acquired Okafor’s rights in a G League trade.

Indiana’s intention to sign Okafor was reported late last month. The fact that it didn’t officially happen until now signals he never had a chance to make the regular season roster and that it was exclusively about getting him a bonus if he reports to the G League. Okafor will earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he joins the Mad Ants and remains with them for at least 60 days.

As for Brown, he had his two-way contract with the team last season converted into a three-year standard deal in March. However, the last two seasons of the new contract were non-guaranteed. He would have received $250K if he had made the opening-night roster.

The decision on Brown improves the chances of Cole Swider securing the 15th spot on the regular season roster.

By waiving Brown and his $2.1MM salary, the Pacers are now $2.5MM below the luxury tax with an open roster spot, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.