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NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: Indiana Pacers

August 26th, 2024 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Indiana Pacers.

Free agent signings

  • Pascal Siakam: Four years, maximum salary ($188,950,272). Re-signed using Bird rights.
  • Obi Toppin: Four years, $58,000,000. Includes $2MM in unlikely incentives. Re-signed using Bird rights.
  • James Wiseman: Two years, minimum salary ($4,784,366). First year partially guaranteed ($500,000). Second-year team option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • James Johnson: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($750,000). Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Cole Swider: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Kyle Mangas: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
  • Cameron McGriff: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.

Trades

  • Acquired the draft rights to Johnny Furphy (No. 35 pick) from the Spurs in exchange for the draft rights to Juan Nunez (No. 36 pick) and cash.

Draft picks

  • 2-35: Johnny Furphy
    • Signed to four-year, $8,589,485 contract. First three years fully guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
  • 2-49: Tristen Newton
    • Signed to two-way contract.
  • 2-50: Enrique Freeman
    • Signed to two-way contract.

Two-way signings

Departed/unsigned free agents

Other moves

  • Signed Andrew Nembhard to a three-year, $58,650,480 veteran extension that begins in 2025/26. The first year of the extension replaces Nembhard’s $2,187,699 team option for ’25/26.

Salary cap situation

  • Operating over the cap ($140.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($170.8MM).
  • Carrying approximately $170.4MM in salary.
  • Hard-capped at $188,931,000.
  • Full mid-level, bi-annual exceptions available.

The offseason so far

The Pacers finished with a solid but not spectacular 47-35 record last season and would have had to go through the play-in tournament to secure a playoff berth if not for a favorable tiebreaker that gave them the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Heading into the 2024/25 season, there are at least five teams (Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Cleveland) widely believed to be ahead of Indiana in the East, and maybe one or two more, depending on how you feel about the Magic and Heat.

Still, this club is coming off an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, even without All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton operating at full health. Of course, Haliburton was still able to suit up and play for most of the postseason, which is more than can be said for a few notable opposing players during the first two rounds, including Giannis Antetokounmpo and Julius Randle. But the Pacers beat the teams in front of them in each of those two rounds and showed themselves to be a growing threat in the East.

The Pacers operated this offseason as if they’re confident last season’s results weren’t a mirage, investing heavily to bring back starting power forward Pascal Siakam (four years, maximum salary) and key reserve Obi Toppin (four years, $58MM, plus incentives).

As a result, Indiana’s team salary is hovering right around the luxury tax line, a threshold the small-market franchise rarely crosses. Barring another mid-season splash similar to last year’s Siakam acquisition, the Pacers should be able to remain out of the tax for at least this season, but with a couple rotation players due for raises next season, that may not be the case for much longer, assuming the club wants to continue pushing toward title contention.

Outside of their significant long-term investments in Siakam and Toppin, the Pacers’ front office mostly shopped in the bargain bin this summer. That included taking a flier on former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, who signed a partially guaranteed minimum-salary contract covering the next two seasons. With Jalen Smith departing in free agency, Isaiah Jackson will likely get the first shot to be Myles Turner‘s primary backup at the five, but Wiseman should have the opportunity to show he deserves minutes in that role.

The Pacers didn’t have a first-round pick in 2024 as a result of last season’s Siakam trade, but they had three second-rounders in the 35-50 range. Two of those players, Tristen Newton and Enrique Freeman, will start their professional careers on two-way deals, while No. 35 pick Johnny Furphy has a spot on the 15-man roster.

A projected first-round pick who slipped to day two, Furphy is one of just two second-rounders in this year’s class to receive three fully guaranteed years on his first NBA contract, signaling that the Pacers are high on him. Indiana has a good recent track record of finding gems near the end of the first round (Ben Sheppard) or the start of the second round (Andrew Nembhard) — we’ll see if Furphy can join that group.

Speaking of Nembhard, he signed a new three-year extension that replaces his minimum-salary team option for 2025/26 and tacks on two new years beyond that. The $58.7MM the Pacers gave him is the most they could have offered on a veteran extension for those three years.

The 24-year-old has emerged as a reliable rotation piece and played some of the best basketball of his career in the Eastern Finals with Haliburton sidelined. Still, it was a little surprising to see the terms of his new deal, as it would’ve made more sense for the Pacers to begin Nembhard’s extension after his ’25/26 team option in order to keep him on that bargain contract for one additional season.

On the other hand, it’s possible Nembhard wouldn’t have agreed to that structure, and while Indiana could have waited a year to sign him to the same extension, the team likely didn’t want to risk making the mistake Dallas did with Jalen Brunson. The Pacers guard may not have Brunson’s upside, but if Haliburton misses extended time at any point in the next season or two, Nembhard could thrive in a larger role and significantly increase his value. Locking him up sooner rather than later allows the Pacers to avoid a scenario in which his price tag soars by 2026.

Up next

After extending Nembhard, the Pacers will have to weigh whether or not to reward another important part of their backcourt rotation with a new deal — T.J. McConnell is extension-eligible as he enters a contract year.

McConnell will turn 33 during the upcoming season and may not be part of the long-term plan in Indiana, but he has posted very strong numbers (9.4 PPG, 5.4 APG, .550/.427/.823 shooting) in a reserve role over the past two seasons. He began last season out of the rotation, but ultimately proved so invaluable off the bench that he ended up earning Sixth Man of the Year votes in the spring.

I expect Indiana to make a strong effort to lock up McConnell for another year or two beyond 2024/25 as long as the price is in the neighborhood of his current $9.3MM salary. Mike Conley‘s two-year, $20.75MM contract with Minnesota could serve as a useful point of comparison in negotiations — Conley is a starter for the Wolves, but he’s also nearly five years older than McConnell.

The Pacers’ top two centers – Turner and Jackson – are also entering contract years, but Turner, who signed his last contract midway through the 2022/23 season, won’t be extension-eligible this season, so Indiana can’t get anything done with him before he reaches unrestricted free agency.

Jackson is extension-eligible until October 21 and may be in line for an increased role in his fourth year, but he averaged a career-low 13.1 MPG last season. I’d be surprised if the cap-conscious Pacers aggressively pursue a long-term deal for him this fall.

Indiana will have some questions at the back of their roster to answer before the regular season begins. The team is currently carrying just 12 players on fully guaranteed salaries, with Wiseman and James Johnson on partially guaranteed deals and Kendall Brown and Cole Swider on non-guaranteed contracts.

Those partial guarantees probably give Wiseman and Johnson the inside track for spots on the roster. The Pacers certainly aren’t obligated to carry a full 15-man squad entering opening night, but if they do, Brown may have to hold off camp invitee Swider for the final spot.

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Traded Second-Round Picks For 2025 NBA Draft

August 26th, 2024 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

We’re using the space below to keep tabs on each NBA team’s second round pick for 2025, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year. Our list of traded first-round picks for 2025 can be found right here.

We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its second round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2026 if it doesn’t change hands in 2025.

Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2025 second-round pick:

Atlantic

  • Boston Celtics: Traded to Knicks or Magic.
    • The Knicks will receive the most favorable pick of the Celtics’ and Grizzlies’ second-rounders; the Magic will receive the least favorable of the two.
  • Brooklyn Nets: Own pick.
  • New York Knicks: Own pick.
  • Philadelphia 76ers: Traded to Mavericks or Timberwolves.
    • The Mavericks will receive the more favorable pick of the Sixers’ and Nuggets’ second-rounders; the Timberwolves will receive the least favorable of the two.
  • Toronto Raptors: Traded to Pistons.

Central

  • Chicago Bulls: Traded to Spurs.
  • Cleveland Cavaliers: Own pick.
  • Detroit Pistons: Traded to Celtics, Mavericks, Wizards, or Knicks.
    • Details outlined at bottom of article.
  • Indiana Pacers: Own pick.
  • Milwaukee Bucks: Traded to Cavaliers.

Southeast

  • Atlanta Hawks: Traded to Trail Blazers or Thunder.
    • The Trail Blazers will receive this pick if it lands between 31-40; the Thunder will receive if it lands between 41-59. The Hawks’ obligation to whichever team doesn’t receive the pick will be extinguished.
  • Charlotte Hornets: Traded to Pacers (top-55 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Hornets will keep it and their obligation to the Pacers will be extinguished.
  • Miami Heat: Traded to Pacers or Nets.
    • The Pacers will receive this pick if it lands between 31-37; the Nets will receive if it lands between 38-59. The Heat’s obligation to whichever team doesn’t receive the pick will be extinguished.
  • Orlando Magic: Own pick.
  • Washington Wizards: Possibly traded to Celtics or Mavericks.
    • Details outlined at bottom of article.

Northwest

  • Denver Nuggets: Traded to Mavericks or Timberwolves.
    • The Mavericks will receive the more favorable pick of the Nuggets’ and Sixers’ second-rounders; the Timberwolves will receive the least favorable of the two.
  • Minnesota Timberwolves: Traded to Hawks.
  • Oklahoma City Thunder: Traded to Grizzlies or Rockets.
    • The Grizzlies will receive the more favorable pick of the Thunder’s and Rockets’ second-rounders; the Rockets will receive the least favorable of the two.
  • Portland Trail Blazers: Traded to Raptors.
  • Utah Jazz: Traded to Timberwolves.

Pacific

  • Golden State Warriors: Traded to Celtics, Mavericks, or Wizards.
    • Details outlined at bottom of article.
  • Los Angeles Clippers: Traded to Lakers.
  • Los Angeles Lakers: Own pick.
  • Phoenix Suns: Traded to Wizards.
  • Sacramento Kings: Traded to Bulls.

Southwest

  • Dallas Mavericks: Possibly traded to Celtics.
    • Details outlined at bottom of article.
  • Houston Rockets: Traded swap rights to Grizzlies.
    • The Grizzlies will receive the more favorable pick of the Rockets’ and Thunder’s second-rounders; the Rockets will receive the least favorable of the two.
  • Memphis Grizzlies: Traded to Knicks or Magic.
    • The Knicks will receive the more favorable pick of the Grizzlies’ and Celtics’ second-rounders; the Magic will receive the least favorable of the two.
  • New Orleans Pelicans: Traded to Hornets.
  • San Antonio Spurs: Own pick.

Here are the details on how the Pistons‘, Wizards‘, Warriors‘, and Mavericks‘ second-round picks will be distributed:

The Celtics will receive the most favorable of the following picks:

  1. The Wizards’ second-round pick.
  2. The Warriors’ second-round pick.
  3. The Mavericks’ second-round pick.
  4. The Pistons’ second-round pick (56-59 protected).

The Mavericks‘ will receive the least favorable of the following picks:

  1. Their own second-round pick.
  2. The most favorable of the Wizards’ second-round pick, the Warriors’ second-round pick, and the Pistons’ second-round pick (56-59 protected).

The Wizards will receive the following two picks:

  1. The least favorable of their own second-round pick and the Warriors’ second-round pick.
  2. The least favorable of the following picks:
    • The more favorable of their own second-round pick and the Warriors’ second-round pick.
    • The Pistons’ second-round pick (56-59 protected).

If the Pistons’ pick lands in the 56-59 range, it will be sent to the Knicks and the Wizards will instead receive just one pick (the least favorable of their own second-round pick and the Warriors’ second-round pick).

Based on preseason projections, the Mavericks are projected to post the best record of these four teams, followed by the Warriors, Pistons, and Wizards, with Detroit’s pick easily landing in the top 55. In that scenario, given the terms outlined above, the Celtics would receive the Wizards’ second-round pick (the most favorable of the four), the Mavericks would hang onto their own second-rounder, and the Wizards would acquire the Warriors’ and Pistons’ picks.

Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.

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Hoops Rumors’ 2024 Offseason Check-In Series

August 26th, 2024 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

In advance of training camps, Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’re taking a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins.

All of our Offseason Check-In articles are linked below, sorted by conference and division.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic

Central

Southeast

Western Conference

Northwest

Pacific

Southwest

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Hornets To Hire DJ Bakker As G League Head Coach

August 25th, 2024 at 9:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets are hiring DJ Bakker as the head coach of their NBA G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets.

Bakker was on the Bucks’ coaching staff last season. He was hired as an assistant under first-year head coach Adrian Griffin, who was replaced in midseason by Doc Rivers. Milwaukee didn’t retain Bakker after the season.

Previously, Bakker was on the Pistons’ staff. He was an assistant under Dwane Casey and had a stint as the head coach of their G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. Bakker was also on the Raptors’ staff when Casey was the head coach there.

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Community Shootaround: Kings’ Offseason

August 25th, 2024 at 8:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

One of the surest things in major professional sports was a losing season for the Kings.

After making the playoffs eight consecutive seasons during the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Kings were annual visitors to the lottery. They missed the playoffs for 16 consecutive seasons, finally ending that drought during the 2022/23 campaign.

Sacramento was eliminated in the opening round by the Warriors but failed to build off that breakthrough season. The Kings were relegated to the play-in tournament last season, knocking out the Warriors before getting bounced by the Pelicans.

Expectations of a major roster shakeup this offseason were quickly squashed. Instead, the Kings essentially settled for the status quo, save for one big addition. They acquired DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade and dealt away Harrison Barnes in the process.

DeRozan slots in to the small forward spot and, at least from an offensive standpoint, the Kings should pack plenty of punch. DeRozan, perhaps the league’s most noted mid-range scorer, averaged 24.0 points and 5.3 assists per game for the Bulls last season. He turned 35 this month but he remains an offensive force.

He joins a lineup that features De’Aaron Fox (26.6 PPG, 5.6 APG) and Domantas Sabonis (19.4 PPG, 8.2 APG). Keegan Murray and Kevin Huerter round out that unit and Sacramento also shelled out big bucks (four years, $78MM) to retain sixth man Malik Monk.

Sacramento made relatively minor additions to its bench, picking up Jordan McLaughlin, Jalen McDaniels and Orlando Robinson via free agency or trade. The Kings suffered a tough blow when first-round pick Devin Carter suffered a severe shoulder injury that could keep him out for most or all of his rookie season.

The Kings were among the top 10 in scoring and field goal percentage last season, though oddly at the bottom in free throw percentage. What held them back was a defense that ranked 21st in field goal percentage and second-to-last in 3-point percentage.

That brings up to today’s topic: Where do you think the Kings rank in the Western Conference pecking order? Did the acquisition of DeRozan move them into the top six in the conference? What else do they need to do to become serious contenders?

Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.

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Eastern Notes: Okoro, Council, Bey, Ball

August 25th, 2024 at 7:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There’s been very little movement in negotiations between the Cavaliers and the only restricted free agent left on the market, Isaac Okoro, Brian Windhorst reported during NBA on ESPN’s The Hoop Collective (video link). The Cavaliers hold the upper hand, since no team except the Pistons is in a position cap-wise to make a competitive offer to Okoro.

“I think there’s only been a little bit of talking back and forth,” Windhorst said. “I’m sure it will increase as we get closer to camp. But the Cavs are realizing that all the money is spent out there. Okoro has the option of taking his qualifying offer. I am told the Cavs made a multiyear offer, whatever that’s worth.”

Okoro’s qualifying offer is worth a little over $11.8MM.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Ricky Council IV brings diverse skills to the table and Paul Hudrick of Liberty Ballers argues that he should be part of the Sixers’ rotation once again during the upcoming season. Council just needs to become a respectable three-point shooter to earn playing time on one of the Eastern Conference’s premier teams, Hudrick adds.
  • Forward Saddiq Bey signed a three-year contract with the Wizards this summer as a free agent despite suffering a torn ACL in March. Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network breaks down Bey’s skill set using analytics.
  • Lonzo Ball continues to defy the odds in his latest attempt to come back from knee surgery, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Ball was recently cleared to start full-contact scrimmages and has started that process on schedule with no setbacks, Cowley reports. The veteran point guard has been participating in scrimmages in Los Angeles. The next step for Ball will be to run with his Bulls teammates at the team’s practice facility, which will allow Chicago’s medical staff to evaluate him and devise a plan for him heading into the preseason.
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And-Ones: Dragic, Petrovic, Wiggins, King

August 25th, 2024 at 5:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

In Marc Stein’s latest Substack post, he details Goran Dragic‘s retirement party and charity contest in Slovenia. Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Chris Bosh, Kevin McHale, Nikola Jokic, Robin Lopez and Boban Marjanovic were among the former and current players who made the long excursion to participate in the festivities. The longtime NBA guard announced his retirement on New Year’s Eve.

We have more from around the international basketball world:

  • Current NBA players Bojan Bogdanovic and Dario Saric will participate in a game next month to remember former NBA star Drazen Petrovic, who died in a car accident in 1993. The game will be held in Zagreb on September 5, Sportando relays via a Eurohoops report. The event will be organized by Aleksandar Petrovic, the brother of the former NBA player. Drazen Petrovic averaged 15.4 points in 290 NBA games while playing for the Trail Blazers and Nets.
  • Aaron Wiggins, Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Nesmith head up the list of players on team-friendly contracts for their respective clubs, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report opines. Wiggins tops the list as a rotation player for the Thunder on a five-year, $45MM deal that includes an additional $2MM in unlikely incentives. His salary also declines year-to-year, including a team option at $8MM for the 2028/29 season.
  • Forward Louis King is the latest player to commit to G League United for the Fall Invitational that will take place next month, according to the G League’s Twitter feed. King played for the South Bay Lakers and had a stint in Puerto Rico after the NBA Lakers waived him last October.
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Boban Marjanovic Looking To Play For New NBA Team

August 25th, 2024 at 3:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Free agent center Boban Marjanovic is still hoping to land with an NBA squad this summer, he relayed to Milun Nesovic of Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops for the translation).

Marjanovic was in Slovenia to partake in a star-studded tribute game to retiring former All-NBA point guard Goran Dragic. Hall of Famers Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Bosh and Steve Nash were all also in attendance, as was reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic.

“I’m waiting for the NBA, but if it doesn’t happen, there is a lot on paper going on,” Marjanovic said. “Every time you make plans, it doesn’t work out. Plans always change.”

Since entering the league with the Spurs, Marjanovic has bounced around the league as a reserve center. He’s played for the Pistons, Clippers, Sixers, and Mavericks. Marjanovic most recently suited up for the Rockets from 2022-24.

The full interview is an interesting one. Here are some other comments from Marjanovic:

  • The 36-year-old did not play for his native Serbia during this summer’s Olympics, but he was clearly invested while watching Jokic and co. almost upset Team USA during their semifinal matchup. “First of all, it’s an amazing experience to watch your friends fight,” Marjanovic said. “There is still regret for that lost match against America, since we all saw it as, ‘Well, we’re winning!’ That’s why it hurts a little. But bronze is bronze, a medal! An extraordinary success for us as a country, for them as individuals and, of course, for our basketball.”
  • In reflecting on Dragic’s retirement game, the 7’4″ big man remarked on the scope of the event, in terms of its attendees. “I saw people here that I haven’t seen in a long time,” Marjanovic said. “It’s fascinating how many people and faces there are in one place. It will be a nice event. Gogi is a fascinating guy, not to mention what kind of player he was, you all know that. He deserves this. The organization is really at the top level.”
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Nikola Vucevic Talks Lonzo Ball, Changes In Chicago, Retirement

August 25th, 2024 at 1:53pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Speaking at All-NBA point guard Goran Dragic‘s farewell game in Slovenia, Bulls center Nikola Vucevic reflected on the team’s disappointing results over the past three seasons. The 6’10” big man noted that everything changed after point guard Lonzo Ball suffered a left meniscus tear midway through the 2021/22 season, per Milun Nesovic of Meridian Sport (hat tip to BasketNews for the transcription).

Chicago went 22-13 during the 35 games Ball was healthy, and hovered around the top of the Eastern Conference. The club then fell to the No. 6 seed and was eliminated by the Bucks in a brisk 2022 first-round playoff series. Ball has undergone three knee surgeries, but has yet to return to the hardwood.

“Since Lonzo Ball’s injury, we haven’t been able to achieve the results we could have,” Vucevic said. “When he played, we were at the top of the East for a while, which maybe wasn’t a realistic result, even though we were playing well, but with him, we would have fought for anything between third and sixth place in the end.”

Chicago hasn’t had Ball available since January 2022. It’s probably not realistic to expect him to contribute at the same level he did, if he ever can come back.

The conversation is well worth reading in full. Here are some more highlights:

  • Vucevic also blamed constant trade chatter for distracting the team during its subsequent two seasons, when Chicago made very few transactions and ultimately missed the playoffs. “Trade talks also affected us, preventing us from achieving the results we thought we could, but when results don’t follow, changes come,” Vucevic said.
  • The team parted ways with two of its top players, six-time All-Star swingman DeMar DeRozan and All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso, this summer. DeRozan inked a lucrative three-year deal with the Kings via sign-and-trade, while Caruso was dealt to the Thunder for Josh Giddey. Vucevic is aware that the club is trying to pivot. “DeRozan left, Caruso left, the team got younger, and they wanted to go in a different direction,” Vucevic said. “We’ll see how the season goes, and then decisions will be made based on that.”
  • The 33-year-old center, who is owed $41.5MM over the next two seasons, also addressed his own future in the league. “I’m aware that I’ve been in the NBA for 13 years now, that the end is not that far off,” Vucevic acknowledged. “I don’t believe I’ll play another 13 years, but I have two more years with Chicago, and I’d like to play two more after that… I think I can play at a high level for that long, and then I’ll see.” A two-time All-Star while with the Magic, Vucevic has seen his shooting efficiency fall off somewhat in recent seasons. After connecting on 40% of 6.3 three-pointers per game in 2020/21, he has averaged 32% on 4.3 long range attempts across the ensuing three seasons. Though he averaged a respectable 18.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 76 games last season, Vucevic’s lack of athleticism has made him a major defensive liability, unable to switch in pick-and-roll situations and incapable of effectively protecting the rim. Offensively, the ball often sticks in his hands and disrupts the club’s scoring.
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Alex Caruso Discusses Expectations For Thunder

August 25th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

After spending the last three years in Chicago, Alex Caruso is facing much higher expectations as he prepares for training camp with the Thunder. Oklahoma City, the top seed in the West last season, upgraded this summer by acquiring Caruso, an elite perimeter defender, in a trade with the Bulls and signing free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein.

Caruso, who played four seasons at Texas A&M, talked about the outlook for his new team in an interview this week with TexAgs Radio.

“I think that the Thunder’s success last year speaks for itself,” he said. “Being first in the West is a tall task because of the buzzsaw and how much talent is in the Western Conference. It is weird now because we added some pieces in the offseason and re-signed some of the young guys. Isaiah Harteinstein and I are phenomenal basketball players who can fit really well within the team. Looking at it on paper, we do a lot of stuff that those guys need that will help us be successful.”

After going undrafted in 2016, Caruso got his first NBA opportunity with the Thunder, signing a training camp contract that fall. He was waived before the start of the season and joined the G League’s Oklahoma City Blue, where he played for current Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault.

Caruso is thrilled to be reuniting with Daigneault as an NBA veteran.

“We have a great relationship,” he said. “I know what to expect out of him and he knows how to coach and push me. If there was one word to describe it, just excited.”

Caruso’s career began to take off when he joined the Lakers on a two-way contract in 2017. He appeared in 37 games as a rookie and gradually worked his way into a rotation role.

He credits LeBron James, who signed in L.A. a year later, with helping to build his confidence and convincing him that he could be a productive NBA player.

“Coming from someone of that stature, someone who is that smart and skilled and the face of the NBA, and arguably the greatest of all time, that means a lot,” Caruso said. “It gave me the confidence in myself to believe that what I was doing was right. It helped me believe that what I was good at could contribute and be a deciding factor in NBA games. All I ever wanted was to be out there at the end of the game and have a chance to win.”

Caruso returned to College Station to host a golf tournament that will help set up his new foundation. The idea of being an established NBA player and having his own charitable organization seemed far away when he played for the Aggies.

“There is so much I want to do to give back,” Caruso said. “I am learning as I go, just figuring out the best way to set up for success so people can benefit from it and help it grow.”

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