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Pacers Sign Reggie Perry To 10-Day Hardship Deal

February 4th, 2022 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have signed big man Reggie Perry to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will run through February 13, covering Indiana’s next five games.

According to the Pacers, Perry has been signed using a COVID-related hardship exception. Domantas Sabonis is currently listed in the health and safety protocols, though he’s expected to exit soon, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files.

As long as Sabonis or another Pacer is in the protocols, Perry can be active. If Sabonis exits the protocols and no other players enter, Perry can finish his 10-day contract with the team, but would no longer be eligible to play.

The 57th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Perry spent his rookie year in ’20/21 on a two-way contract with the Nets, averaging 3.0 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 26 games (8.1 MPG) at the NBA level and putting up 18.1 PPG and 8.9 RPG in 15 games (28.8 MPG) for the Long Island Nets in the G League.

Perry signed with the Raptors for training camp this fall, then joined Toronto’s G League affiliate after failing to secure a spot on the regular season roster. He has averaged a double-double (18.7 PPG, 10.8 RPG) in 24 games (29.9 MPG) for the Raptors 905 this season.

Perry previously signed a 10-day hardship contract with Portland in late December and appeared in two games for the Trail Blazers. He was paid $85,578 for that deal and will get the same amount for the 10 days he spends with the Pacers. That money won’t count against team salary for cap or tax purposes.

The Pacers are dealing with a frontcourt shortage, missing both Myles Turner and Isaiah Jackson due to injuries while Sabonis remains in the protocols. As a result, Perry could see minutes immediately for Indiana.

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Taylor Impressed When Pressed Into Action

February 3rd, 2022 at 10:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers rookie swingman Terry Taylor recorded career highs of 24 points and 16 rebounds in 37 minutes of action on Wednesday. Taylor, a two-way player who earned a spot on the roster after going undrafted, may be forcing his way into the team’s future plans, according to James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star. Taylor played out of position against the Magic as a very undersized center with Indiana’s frontcourt depleted by injuries.

  • The cap hit that the Pacers will take by signing Lance Stephenson to a rest-of-the-season contract is $642,729, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. Stephenson will make $924,730. The signing leaves Indiana $1.4MM below the luxury tax threshold but the team could get $1.3MM in tax relief if Domantas Sabonis is not selected as an All-Star replacement. He wasn’t among the initial group of Eastern Conference reserves announced on Thursday.
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Lance Stephenson Signs With Pacers For Rest Of Season

February 3rd, 2022 at 10:57am CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 3: Stephenson has signed with the Pacers for the rest of the season, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files and Stephenson’s agency, Priority Sports (Twitter links). Agness confirms (via Twitter) that the deal won’t cover multiple seasons, so the veteran swingman will be a free agent this summer.

FEBRUARY 2: The Pacers will sign Lance Stephenson for the remainder of the season, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Stephenson’s latest 10-day contract expired on Wednesday night.

Stephenson came to Indiana at the beginning of January on a pair of 10-day hardship deals while the team dealt with a COVID-19 outbreak. When those expired, he signed two standard 10-day contracts. In total, he has appeared in 17 games, averaging 9.4 points and 4.2 assists per night.

Stephenson isn’t eligible to sign another standard 10-day deal with the team this season. Marc Stein of Substack notes that he could have inked another hardship contract as long as Domantas Sabonis remains in the league’s health and safety protocols (Twitter link). However, if Sabonis were to exit before the 10 days are up, Stephenson would be ineligible to play.

The Pacers have known for some time that they were going to sign Stephenson for the rest of the season, Stein tweets. There has been discussion about keeping a roster spot open for added flexibility heading into next Thursday’s trade deadline, so we’ll have to wait to see when Stephenson’s contract becomes official.

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Pacers' G League Affiliate Acquires Jordan Bell

February 3rd, 2022 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams
  • Veteran NBA big man Jordan Bell was acquired this week by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers‘ G League affiliate, per a press release. The Mad Ants made a trade with the Santa Cruz Warriors – Golden State’s affiliate – to secure Bell’s NBAGL rights.
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Central Rumors: P. Williams, Turner, Pangos, Pistons

February 3rd, 2022 at 7:44am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls remain, for the most part, unwilling to discuss injured forward Patrick Williams in trade talks leading up to next Thursday’s trade deadline, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said this week on Chad Ford’s podcast. According to Fischer, Chicago could potentially be convinced to part with Williams, but only in a deal that significantly upgraded the team’s chances of competing for a title.

“From the people I’ve talked to in Chicago, it’s been made very clear to me that they are not going to consider moving (Williams) unless it’s for the piece,” Fischer said, per HoopsHype. “Not a piece but the piece that they think will push them to that championship.”

Such a deal seems unlikely to materialize at this year’s deadline for the Bulls, who probably don’t view a player of Jerami Grant‘s caliber as that sort of major difference-maker.

Here are a few more items from around the Central:

  • Fischer said on that same Chad Ford podcast that he has heard Pacers center Myles Turner might be ready to return from his foot injury shortly after the All-Star break (hat tip to HoopsHype). Barring setbacks, Fischer thinks Turner will be back in early March at the latest.
  • Longtime EuroLeague standout Kevin Pangos finally made the move to the NBA last year, but he hasn’t played much for the Cavaliers and doesn’t have a guaranteed contract beyond this season, resulting in speculation that he’ll return to Europe sooner rather than later. Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com stated on his podcast this week that CSKA Moscow is pushing to land Pangos as soon as this month should Cleveland decide to waive him.
  • James L. Edwards III and John Hollinger of The Athletic are unconvinced that the Pistons will end up moving Jerami Grant at the deadline, with Hollinger observing that the contending teams who could most use Grant to push them over the top would likely be wary about giving him a major role on offense. Hollinger adds that he views Bucks swingman Donte DiVincenzo and Grizzlies guard De’Anthony Melton as a couple ideal trade targets for the Pistons, though there’s no indication the team has inquired on either player.
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Trade Rumors: Dragic, Noel, Zubac, Batum, Millsap

February 2nd, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have phoned rival teams to gauge what sort of return they could get in exchange for Goran Dragic‘s expiring contract and a first-round pick, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

Toronto is known to be in the market for an upgrade at center, but likely won’t want to part with any of its core players in an in-season deal. That makes Dragic’s expiring deal and a draft pick the most logical package for the Raptors to offer.

That framework of Dragic and draft assets was brought up in negotiations for Pacers center Myles Turner before he sustained a stress fracture in his foot, says Fischer.

Here are a few more trade-related rumors from around the NBA:

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Wizards Rumors: Sabonis, Grant, Beal, Bryant, Harrell, Dinwiddie

February 2nd, 2022 at 7:53am CST by Luke Adams

A number of people around the NBA think the Wizards will go “big-game hunting” at the trade deadline in an effort to ensure Bradley Beal remains happy with the situation in D.C. ahead of his upcoming free agency, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said on his latest podcast.

Scotto identified Pistons forward Jerami Grant and Pacers center Domantas Sabonis as two potential targets to watch for the Wizards. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report mentions the same two names in his look at Washington’s deadline options, referring to Sabonis as a player who has emerged as a “significant” target for the Wizards.

According to Fischer, there’s a belief Beal has signaled plans to re-sign with the Wizards in the offseason, and there has been no indication the team is willing to discuss him in trade talks on or before February 10. However, having slid down the standings since a 10-3 start, the club appears to be in the market for an impact player in order to help “solidify Beal’s standing” in Washington.

Here’s more on the Wizards:

  • One source with knowledge of the situation tell Bleacher Report that Beal hasn’t actively encouraged the Wizards to acquire Sabonis, but word around the league is that the Wizards star would welcome the opportunity to play with the big man, Fischer writes. The Kings and Pelicans are the other teams believed to have serious interest in Sabonis, per Fischer’s sources.
  • The Pacers‘ front office liked Rui Hachimura heading into the 2019 draft and considered Corey Kispert in the 2021 lottery, according to Fischer, who notes that at least two of Hachimura, Kispert, and Deni Avdija would probably have to be included in any package for Sabonis. The Wizards would also have to offer a player like Thomas Bryant or Montrezl Harrell for salary-matching purposes, plus possibly draft assets, and even that might not meet Indiana’s high asking price, says Fischer.
  • The Wizards have made outgoing calls to assess Harrell’s trade value, and rival executives believe they’re playing Bryant more lately in order to showcase him for a potential deal, writes Fischer.
  • Although the Wizards have made Spencer Dinwiddie available, his down year will make it more challenging to find a trade partner, per Fischer. “He needs the ball, he’s not good enough to have the ball, and he’s not a good shooter,” a Western Conference executive said to Bleacher Report.
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Suns, Cavs, Pelicans Among Potential Eric Gordon Suitors?

February 2nd, 2022 at 7:26am CST by Luke Adams

Although a January report stated that the Rockets are leaning toward keeping Eric Gordon through the trade deadline rather than moving him in the next eight days, the veteran guard’s name continues to pop up in trade rumors.

The Suns, who are believed to be seeking an upgrade on the wing, have been mentioned by league personnel as a possible suitor for Gordon, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who notes that Phoenix continues to shop injured forward Dario Saric.

Gordon has played in the past with Suns point guard Chris Paul and his ability to stretch the floor and make three-pointers would appeal to a Phoenix team that currently ranks 22nd in the NBA with 11.6 threes made per game.

The Cavaliers have placed calls on Gordon and Pacers swingman Caris LeVert, says Fischer, but the asking prices on those players have been higher than Cleveland is comfortable paying at the moment.

According to Fischer, Cleveland is hoping to acquire a player like Gordon or LeVert using Ricky Rubio‘s expiring contract and a pair of second-round picks, but Houston believes it can get a first-round selection for Gordon and Indiana is seeking at least one first-rounder, if not more, for LeVert.

Gordon is also drawing interest from the Pelicans, according to both Fischer and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Fischer suggests New Orleans has been “repeatedly linked” to the Rockets guard in conversations he has had with league sources, though the Pels are believed to have their eye on a handful of other wings too.

Any team interested in acquiring Gordon will have to be able to take on his $18.2MM salary for 2021/22. He’s also owed a guaranteed $19.6MM salary in 2022/23 and is on the books for $20.9MM in 2023/24, though that figure is non-guaranteed.

That ’23/24 cap hit can become fully guaranteed if Gordon’s team wins a championship in either of the next two seasons and he plays at least 500 minutes, which is a factor that a serious contender like the Suns would have to consider if they pursue the 33-year-old.

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NBA Announces 2021/22 Rising Stars Rosters

February 1st, 2022 at 6:34pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The NBA has revealed the 28 players (12 rookies, 12 sophomores, and four G League Ignite players) who will suit up for the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars Game in Cleveland this year, per its official PR account (Twitter links). There are a few intriguing surprises among the first-year NBA players.

Here are the players who made the cut:

Rookies:

Sophomores:

Additionally, four players from the G League Ignite will participate in the Rising Stars Game based on voting from NBA G League head coaches. The NBAGL has announced (Twitter link) that MarJon Beauchamp, Dyson Daniels, Jaden Hardy and Scoot Henderson will partake in the action. Players will be separated into four teams, and each G League player will be drafted to join one of the teams later this week.

Among the rookie NBA players, the additions who would be most surprising ahead of the 2021/22 season would be Dosunmu and Jones, both of whom were second-round draft selections. 2021 lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga, Ziaire Williams, James Bouknight, Joshua Primo and Moses Moody were all omitted from inclusion this year.

Among the second-year players, Ball could be appearing on multiple nights during All-Star Weekend this season, as he appears to be a very possible first-time All-Star this year thanks to his outstanding work with the upstart Hornets.

The lottery-bound Magic, Pistons, and Rockets can boast having the most inclusions here, with three players apiece.

As we detailed last week, this year’s Rising Stars event will look a little different, with the four teams taking part in a mini-tournament and playing to a target score in each game: 50 points in the semifinals and 25 points in the final, in honor of the league’s 75th anniversary season.

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McConnell Weeks Away From Returning

January 31st, 2022 at 7:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • T.J. McConnell had the pin taken out of surgically repaired right wrist but the Pacers guard is “weeks, not days” away from returning, coach Rick Carlisle told James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). When McConnell underwent hand surgery in early December, the prognosis was that he could be out the rest of the season. There’s still no timetable for Malcolm Brogdon‘s return, Boyd adds in a separate tweet. Brogdon was shut down 10 days ago due to right Achilles soreness.
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