Indiana Pacers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacers To Sign Eli Brooks To Exhibit 10 Deal

June 24th, 2022 at 8:37pm CST by Rory Maher

Undrafted rookie Eli Brooks is signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Pacers, his father tells Andrew Kahn of MLive.com. Brooks will also compete in Summer League for Indiana, Kahn adds.

Brooks, a 6’1″ guard, appeared in 34 games (36 MPG) as a fifth-year senior last season, averaging 12.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.9 APG and 1.2 SPG on .444/.394/.877 shooting. According to Kahn, Brooks is the Wolverines’ all-time leader in wins and was team captain in his final two seasons.

Exhibit 10 deals, which are non-guaranteed, can be converted into two-way contracts before the regular season begins and also make a player eligible for a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins his team’s G League affiliate.

Pacers To Sign Jermaine Samuels To Exhibit 10 Contract

June 24th, 2022 at 2:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers are signing Jermaine Samuels, Matt Norlander of CBS Sports tweets. The Villanova product is inking an Exhibit 10 contract, James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star tweets.

Samuels, a 6’7” forward, averaged 11.1 PPG and 6.5 RPG in his senior season for the Wildcats. Samuels played 153 games over five seasons for the perennial Big East power, averaging 8.5 PPG and 5.2 RPG in 24.1 MPG.

College teammate Collin Gillespie is signing a two-way deal with the Nuggets after going undrafted.

An Exhibit 10 is a one-year, non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract that counts toward a team’s 20-man offseason roster limit, but doesn’t count against the cap unless the player makes the regular season roster.

A player on an Exhibit 10 contract can earn a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins his team’s G League affiliate.

Tevin Brown Joining Pacers On Exhibit 10 Contract

June 24th, 2022 at 11:06am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers will sign Tevin Brown of Murray State to an Exhibit 10 contract, tweets Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

The 6’5″ shooting guard was a three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference selection. He averaged 16.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists for the Racers this season as a redshirt senior.

Brown, 23, was ranked 18th among undrafted players by ESPN.

An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, minimum-salary contract that counts toward a team’s 20-man offseason roster limit, but doesn’t count against the cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. Although it’s not guaranteed, a player on an Exhibit 10 contract can earn a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins his team’s G League affiliate. An Exhibit 10 contract can also be converted into a two-way deal before the start of the regular season.

Scotto’s Latest: Wizards, T. Jones, Brunson, Knicks, Ayton, More

June 24th, 2022 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards used their No. 10 overall pick on Thursday night to land one of the top guards in this year’s draft, selecting Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis. However, the Wizards remain in the market for veteran help at the point guard spot, and Grizzlies free agent Tyus Jones is among the players on their radar, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

As Scotto explains, Washington should have the flexibility to use the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception and could make a compelling bid for Jones. The club could potentially give him the opportunity to start, which Jones “ideally desires,” writes Scotto.

The Grizzlies hold Jones’ Bird rights, giving them the ability to make a strong offer to retain Jones. Memphis’ decision to trade De’Anthony Melton to Philadelphia perhaps signaled that re-signing Jones will be an offseason priority, though the team did draft a potential backup point guard in Kennedy Chandler on Thursday night.

Here’s more from Scotto:

Rival NBA executives believe the Knicks are “all-in” for Jalen Brunson after making efforts to open up cap space on Thursday. Taj Gibson and his $5MM+ non-guaranteed salary will likely be waived to create more cap flexibility, says Scotto.
The Knicks will have to open up more cap room to make a serious bid for Brunson, and Scotto reiterates that Cam Reddish and Alec Burks are possible trade candidates. Reddish was part of one of the offers New York sent to the Pistons for Jaden Ivey, according to Scotto, who says Burks has been offered to the Cavaliers and Pacers, among other teams.
In considering potential landing spots for Suns RFA center Deandre Ayton, Scotto writes that people around the NBA have speculated about a possible sign-and-trade deal involving Pacers center Myles Turner — both players are represented by the same agent, Bill Duffy. Previous reports have indicated the Pacers spoke to the Suns prior to the trade deadline about Ayton.
The Trail Blazers have been mentioned as a possible suitor for Ayton, but they remain intent on re-signing incumbent center Jusuf Nurkic, league sources tell Scotto.
Although EuroLeague star Vasilije Micic is interested in coming to the NBA for the 2022/23 season, he wants to join a playoff contender and is interested in a salary worth close to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, says Scotto. The Thunder may have to trade Micic’s draft rights for those goals to come to fruition.

Pacers Weren't Excited About Trade Offers

June 24th, 2022 at 9:18am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers had numerous trade opportunities Thursday night, but nothing worth pulling the trigger on, according to James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. “We’re always gonna be aggressive, but there’s always certain price points,” general manager Chad Buchanan said. “Sometimes you have to walk away from deals if it’s not right for your team.”

Pacers Acquire No. 48 Pick Kendall Brown From Timberwolves

June 24th, 2022 at 12:59am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JUNE 24: The trade is official, according to the Pacers, who say they’ve acquired Brown’s draft rights from the Timberwolves in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick and cash (Twitter link).

The pick is expected to be the least favorable of the Pacers’, Heat’s, and Spurs’ 2026 second-rounders.

JUNE 23: The Timberwolves are sending out the No. 48 pick, Baylor swingman Kendall Brown, to the Pacers, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Brown was a Big 12 All-Freshman Team honoree during his single season for the Bears. The 19-year-old averaged 9.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.9 APG and 1.0 SPG across 34 contests, all starts, during the 2021/22 NCAA season. The athletic 6’8″ guard/forward posted shooting splits of .584/.341/.689.

Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets that Indiana will be sending the Timberwolves a future second-round selection in exchange for Brown.

Minnesota has been proactive when it comes to dealmaking during this draft. First, the club sent the No. 19 selection in tonight’s draft to the Grizzlies in exchange for the Nos. 22 and 29 picks. The Wolves then sent that No. 29 pick, plus two future second-round selections, to the Rockets for the No. 26 pick, Duke’s Wendell Moore.

Earlier in the second round, the team acquired the draft rights to Memphis wing Josh Minott and a 2023 second-round pick from Charlotte.

Bucks Acquire No. 58 Pick From Pacers, Choose Besson

June 23rd, 2022 at 11:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A pair of Central Division teams made a late second-round swap, as the Pacers agreed to trade the No. 58 pick to the Bucks, Shams Charania of Stadium tweets. Indiana is receiving cash in the deal, reports James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link).

The Bucks used the last pick of the draft, which was originally owned by Phoenix, to select French guard Hugo Besson, who played for the New Zealand Breakers last season and averaged 13.9 PPG.

Besson will presumably be a draft-and-stash pick for Milwaukee.

Central Notes: Pacers, Bucks, Cavaliers, Grant, Bulls

June 23rd, 2022 at 3:58pm CST by Rory Maher

Pacers VP of of player personnel Ryan Carr said the team has its eyes on several prospects with the No. 6 pick, but the executive seemed particularly high on Purdue guard Jaden Ivey, who is ranked No. 4 on ESPN’s big board.

“His speed, I think, is what sets him apart,” Carr said, per James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. “There’s just not many players with that kind of speed, the ability to put the pressure on the rim and score. And then he’s really improved over the past couple years his shooting and has shown the ability to hit 3s. … Somebody that fast, if he can hit a jumper and go by you, I don’t know how you guard him.”

Ivey seems unlikely to be available at No. 6 because most of the latest mock drafts have him going No. 4 to Sacramento, so the Pacers would likely have to trade up to draft the Indiana native.

Carr also said drafting so high in the lottery for the first time in more than 30 years will have a major impact on the team’s rebuild, as Boyd relays.

“It’s been a long time, and obviously you want every player you pick, no matter what number, to succeed,” Carr said. “But the sixth pick, this guy, we want him to be a foundational piece for us, and (we’re) looking forward to adding that piece.”

The Pacers control the Nos. 31 and 60 picks in the 2022 NBA draft in addition to No. 6, as shown by updated full draft order.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Sources tell Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated that the Bucks are contemplating moving up or down with the No. 24 pick. Woo projects Arizona guard/forward Dalen Terry to Milwaukee at 24 within his latest mock draft, assuming the team keeps the pick.
After acquiring a second-round pick from the Kings, the Cavaliers now control the Nos. 14, 39, 49 and 56 picks, giving them the flexibility to possibly trade for a late first-rounder with their three second-round selections if a prospect they like slides, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Cavs continue to field calls about the No. 14 pick and have also discussed the possibility of moving up in the lottery, Fedor reports.
Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago details how the pending trade of Jerami Grant to Portland impacts the Bulls. Schaefer notes that the Trail Blazers owe Chicago a first-round pick that’s lottery-protected until 2028, meaning if the Blazers make the playoffs in 2022/23, the Bulls will acquire Portland’s 2023 first-rounder.

Knicks Notes: Brogdon, Sharpe, Barrett, Draft

June 23rd, 2022 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

While Indiana and New York have had conversations about Malcolm Brogdon, some Pacers officials came away from those talks under the impression that the Knicks are exploring a lot of point guard options and Brogdon isn’t necessarily at the top of their wish list, says Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

That doesn’t mean that the Knicks won’t ultimately make a deal for Brogdon, but most recent reports – including those from Begley – have suggested that Jalen Brunson is New York’s preferred target at point guard this summer.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Jaden Ivey isn’t the only player on the Knicks’ radar in possible trade-up scenarios, according to Begley, who writes in a separate SNY.tv story that Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharpe also “fans in high places” within the organization. Sharpe appears likely to come off the board in the top 10, though that’s not a lock.
Fred Katz of The Athletic notes that the Knicks’ cap situation for the 2023 offseason will be impacted by where the NBA’s estimated average salary for 2022/23 ends up, since RJ Barrett‘s cap hold will depend on whether his ’22/23 salary ($10.9MM) is deemed to be below or above the league average. If his salary falls below the league average, his cap hold in 2023 would be $32.7MM; if it’s above the league average, his cap hold next year would be $27.25MM. The issue would be moot if Barrett signs an extension this offseason, since his cap hold for 2023/24 would be replaced by the first-year salary in his new deal.
In another story for The Athletic, Katz and draft guru Sam Vecenie explore how Thursday night might play out for the Knicks, who control the 11th and 42nd overall picks.
Zach Braziller of The New York Post also takes a look at the myriad options the Knicks will have available to them on draft night.

Fischer’s Latest: Turner, Sixers, Thybulle, Jazz, Micic

June 23rd, 2022 at 8:31am CST by Luke Adams

As the Pacers continue to weigh the possibility of trading center Myles Turner, the Timberwolves, Raptors, and Hornets are among the teams believed to be interested, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

According to Fischer, the Knicks have showed interest in Turner in recent years too, but the expectation is that they’d only be a serious suitor for the big man if Mitchell Robinson leaves in free agency.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Sixers have called “a healthy portion” of the teams around the NBA in an effort to gauge their interest in Tobias Harris, Danny Green, and Matisse Thybulle, sources tell Bleacher Report. Fischer suggests Philadelphia has been trying to find teams that would give up a first-round pick for Thybulle as part of a three-team trade that would send an impact veteran rotation to the 76ers.
The Jazz are seeking a first-round pick in exchange for any of their rotation players besides Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, according to Fischer, who adds that Royce O’Neale is generating significant trade interest around the NBA.
Nikola Jokic is thought to be a “driving factor” in the Nuggets‘ interest in Serbian point guard Vasilije Micic, a draft-and-stash EuroLeague star whose NBA rights are held by the Thunder. The Spurs, Bucks, and Bulls have also been mentioned as potential suitors for Micic, Fischer reports.