Jarace Walker Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacers Notes: Nembhard, McConnell, Mathurin, Turner, Toppin, Walker, Freeman

December 2nd, 2024 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers fell to 9-12 on Sunday with a 15-point loss in Memphis, but Andrew Nembhard‘s return from a right knee issue was a positive development for the club. As Dustin Dopirak writes for The Indianapolis Star, Nembhard’s solid play on a minutes limit provided a reminder of what Indiana was missing when he was sidelined for 12 games.

The third-year guard scored 14 points to go along with four assists and two steals in just 15 minutes of action. He was a team-high +5 on the night, making him the only Indiana starter with a positive plus/minus rating. Nembhard played eight minutes in the first quarter as the Pacers built an early 45-28 lead over the Grizzlies.

“He’s a big reason we got off to the start that we did,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “Defensively, he was really solid. Offensively, he made plays, had a couple layups, a couple threes. He just knows how to play. He knows how to play with (Tyrese Haliburton). It’s obvious that we missed him.”

With Nembhard out, opposing defenses have increasingly keyed on Haliburton, sending double-teams his way and guarding him with increased physicality. Haliburton is optimistic that the return of a talented play-maker and shooter like Nembhard will put the Pacers in a better position to attack those defensive schemes.

“Good to have him back, of course, he’s a big part of what we do here,” Haliburton said. “Good to see him healthy and looking forward to having his minutes growing going forward. … They’re doing a lot of denying. I’m sure a lot of teams are going to follow this blueprint moving forward. We just have to be solution-based and figure out what that is, how to attack it the right way. I thought in the first quarter we did.”

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Indiana guards T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin have drawn “significant” trade interest from potential suitors over the years, but the Pacers have consistently rebuffed those inquiries, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who notes that McConnell has been an important veteran leader and Mathurin is still viewed as having All-Star upside. After knocking off some rust to open the season, Mathurin, 22, has averaged 20.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game with a .478/.438/.863 shooting line in his last 17 appearances (16 starts).
While teams across the NBA have long coveted center Myles Turner, there’s a belief that Indiana wants to re-sign him, Scotto writes. The Pacers won’t be able to extend Turner before he reaches unrestricted free agency in 2025, but will control his Bird rights at that time, allowing them to go as high as they need to.
There’s a belief around the league that the Pacers could eventually move either Obi Toppin or Jarace Walker, since the two power forwards are playing relatively limited roles behind starting power forward Pascal Siakam, Scotto says. Despite some early-season injuries to starters, Toppin is averaging just 20.0 minutes per game while Walker is playing 17.8 MPG.
Two-way player Enrique Freeman is a candidate to have his contract converted to a standard deal after the trade deadline, league sources tell Scotto. Freeman has played a relatively modest role so far, while Quenton Jackson has been the more notable two-way standout for the Pacers this fall. In order to promote either one, Indiana would need to make room on a 15-man roster that is currently full. That could be achieved by making a two-for-one trade or by cutting a player.

Central Notes: Walker, Turner, Cavs, Middleton, Jackson

November 7th, 2024 at 10:50pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Jarace Walker played sparingly during his rookie season for the Pacers after being selected with the No. 8 overall pick in last year’s draft. However, he showed Wednesday why he was a lottery selection just a year ago, contributing a career-high 17 points on perfect (7-of-7) shooting.

According to IndyStar’s Dustin Dopirak, that performance could cement Walker in the rotation even when forward Aaron Nesmith returns from injury.

“Jarace Walker tonight, this was certainly a tremendous performance by him,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He earned all the minutes. Shot-making was great. He rebounded and defended their best players. Had a big block at the end of one quarter that was a real momentum play. There’s nothing like heat-of-the-moment, big-time intensity to really learn what it’s all about and he really responded great.”

Wednesday’s game marked the third straight time Walker reached double-digit minutes. Some of his primary defensive assignments through that stretch included Luka Doncic, Brandon Ingram and Franz Wagner.

“I feel like [Wednesday] wasn’t my best defensive night but I feel like I’m just continuing to take leaps,” Walker said. “I’m watching a lot of film, continuing to grow on that side, but just continuing to focus on and work on pressing up on defense, pick-and-roll defense and obviously one-on-one. I feel like I’m continuing to grow on that side as well.”

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Myles Turner continues to be a locker room staple and franchise cornerstone for the Pacers despite being included in trade rumors several times through his 10-year NBA career. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda’s Grant Afseth, Turner discussed his connection with his teammates and his value to the Pacers. “I’ve battled through a lot, but it hasn’t broken me,” Turner said. “I want to stay ready and be an example for the next generation.“
The Cavaliers are off to their best start in franchise history, beginning the year with a 9-0 record, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com details. Cleveland is playing tremendous team-oriented basketball, with Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley all playing at or around All-Star levels to begin the season. The Cavs rank first in the league in points and field goal percentage.
Despite the Cavaliers‘ perfect record, Mitchell hasn’t been pleased with recent officiating, Fedor writes. “We’re playing against these teams that are getting tick-tack calls,” Mitchell said after Wednesday’s win over the Pelicans. “Tonight, I don’t even know when the first foul was called in the second half.” Cleveland shot 13 free throws to New Orleans’ 28 in that game.
The Bucks are still not offering a timeline for the return to play for forward Khris Middleton, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. Head coach Doc Rivers said he didn’t know if he’d classify Middleton as dealing with more of a day-to-day or week-to-week injury. Rivers did say that the former All-Star could play in a live, five-on-five practice session on a game day if needed, Owczarski writes, meaning a lack of practice time for the team as a whole shouldn’t delay his return. “Everybody’s different,” Rivers said. “Khris has had a lot of injuries and surgical stuff, so it’s just not as fast as we thought it would be and there’s nothing wrong with that.“
Milwaukee inserted Andre Jackson Jr. into the starting rotation and the Bucks ended up snapping a six-game losing streak. Veteran Bucks guard Damian Lillard was complimentary of how the second-year wing played, according to Gabe Stoltz of Brew Hoop (Twitter link). “Every good team has somebody that you can point to as like a disruptor, energy player that just brings that to a team and I think it was obvious with him out there,” Lillard said.

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.

Central Notes: Walker, Sheppard, Swider, Buzelis, Cavs

October 15th, 2024 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

With Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin back under contract with the Pacers on new four-year deals, there won’t be regular playing time available at power forward for 2023 lottery pick Jarace Walker anytime soon, barring an injury. That’s why, as Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) writes, Walker finds himself battling Bennedict Mathurin and Ben Sheppard for minutes on the wing this fall.

Walker made a strong case for a rotation role last Thursday against Cleveland, when he scored 12 points and was a +18 in 18 minutes off the bench. He was elevated to the starting lineup on Monday vs. Memphis with Siakam and a few other regulars sitting, and contributed 15 points, six rebounds, and four assists in 38 minutes. However, most of those points came in the fourth quarter against reserves, and head coach Rick Carlisle indicated after the game that he wanted to see more from Walker and his fellow starters.

“The first quarter was very poor,” Carlisle said, per Dopirak. “The guys who started the game pretty much eased into the game. (Memphis) is a smash-mouth team that puts physical hits on you both offensively and defensively. They play a clean game, but it’s a physical game. We got smashed in the face in the first quarter.”

As Dopirak writes, Mathurin seems almost certain to be part of the second unit, so Walker and Sheppard may be vying for the last spot in that group. Sheppard, who had a good game on Monday, earned a rotation role last season as a rookie and seems “too trustworthy when it comes the basics to be banished to the end of the bench,” Dopirak writes. So even if Walker receives regular minutes to open the season, he’ll have to continue to prove he deserves them.

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Cole Swider may have the edge on Kendall Brown for the 15th and final spot on the Pacers‘ regular season roster, according to Dopirak. Swider had a strong outing on Monday (10 points, five rebounds, three assists, +12), while Brown barely played. As Dopirak observes, Swider’s outside shooting is something Indiana doesn’t get from many other players at the end of its bench, which could help give him a leg up. Both players are on non-guaranteed contracts.
Bulls lottery pick Matas Buzelis is impressing coaches and teammates alike this fall as he gears up for his rookie season, according to Kyle Williams and Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Head coach Billy Donovan referred to Buzelis as having “tremendous upside” and appreciated the fact that the first-round pick has expressed a willingness to do whatever it takes to get better — including possibly spending time in the G League. On Monday, the 20-year-old didn’t shy away from matching up against Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo on either end of the court. “He’s not scared of anyone or any moment, and I think for a guy to come into the league like that, have that confidence, it’s huge for him,” Bulls guard Josh Giddey said. “It’s easy for rookies to be shy, not take on challenges, but credit to him. (He’s a) very talented kid, and he’s going to have a helluva career in the NBA.”
The Cavaliers broke ground on Monday on a new state-of-the-art training facility in downtown Cleveland, according to The Associated Press. Star guard Donovan Mitchell attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the 210,000-square-foot building, which is being funded by team owner Dan Gilbert and is scheduled to open in 2027. “Since I arrived here two years ago, I’ve just heard nothing but how serious Cleveland is about their sports,” Mitchell said. “And seeing it, shows how serious and how much they care about their players and the investment about their bodies. This is going to be huge for the longevity of our careers.”

Central Notes: Mitchell, Cavs, Harris, Middleton, Pacers

October 13th, 2024 at 1:23pm CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers have won a combined 99 regular season games over the past two seasons, making the playoffs on each occasion. In 2023, they were eliminated in the first round by New York. Last season, they dispatched Orlando in a seven-game first-round series before losing to eventual champion Boston in round two.

After the season ended, there were rumors the Cavs might split up their core four of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Instead, they extended Mitchell, Mobley and Allen, and re-signed restricted free agent Isaac Okoro on a three-year deal. The only major change Cleveland made was replacing head coach J.B. Bickerstaff with Kenny Atkinson.

According to David Aldridge of The Athletic, Mitchell is confident the Cavs have room to grow internally.

“There’s always another level,” Mitchell said. “You feel that, and going against them, you definitely walk off the floor against Boston feeling like, all right, (Boston’s great). But I don’t think we’re far away.”

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Tobias Harris‘ preseason debut with the Pistons was delayed by a bout with COVID-19, which he said was “no joke” after practice last Thursday, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. While Harris was disappointed to temporarily be away from the Pistons, he was encouraged by what he saw in the team’s first two exhibition games, and he turned in a stellar performance in Friday’s victory over Phoenix, recording 23 points (on 8-of-13 shooting), five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in 27 minutes. The veteran forward signed a two-year, $52MM contract with Detroit in free agency, returning for a second stint in Motown.
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers is skeptical that Khris Middleton will suit up for Monday’s preseason contest vs. Chicago, but Thursday’s finale in Dallas remains a possibility, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “We’re still hopeful, probably not Chicago…So we’re hopeful in Dallas,” Rivers said. “And if not, we’re not that concerned by it.” Middleton, a three-time All-Star who was instrumental to Milwaukee’s championship run in 2021, is recovering from offseason surgeries on both ankles.
Third-year wing Bennedict Mathurin and second-year forward Jarace Walker were among the standouts in the Pacers‘ preseason victory over Cleveland last Thursday, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Both players were highly efficient offensively, with Mathurin scoring 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting in 19 minutes, while Walker had 12 points on just three field goal attempts in 18 minutes.

Pacers Notes: Mathurin, Turner, Walker, Wiseman, Furphy

October 2nd, 2024 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Bennedict Mathurin had a hand in the Pacers‘ regular season success in 2023/24, but his season ended in early March due to a labrum tear, meaning he had to watch from the sidelines as his team won two playoff series and got within four wins of the NBA Finals.

“It was kind of tough to see that,” Mathurin said at the Pacers’ media day on Monday, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “It was good for the team, and it was good because it puts me back to myself and it kind of humbled me a little bit because we had such success.”

Mathurin started the first 12 games of the ’23/24 campaign before moving to the bench for most of the rest of the season. Given that the Pacers played some of their best basketball with the former lottery pick in the second unit, he’ll likely come off the bench again this fall, which he says is just fine.

“I don’t think I have any expectations for a role,” Mathurin said. “I’m not going to be joining the team back and saying, ‘This is my role on the team.’ It’s pretty much, whatever I can do to help my team win, whatever it is, so be it. That’s the main thing for me, just help my team win.”

Whether Mathurin is part of the starting five or a key part of the second unit, star Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton is looking forward to having his teammate on the court again this fall.

“I’m so excited to get him back,” Haliburton said. “I think an interesting part of last year is it was presented as a lot of teams (in the playoffs) were hurt, as if our best bench scorer was not. I’m excited to get him back. I think seeing him get that success and knowing how competitive he is and he wasn’t playing lights a fire under one of the most hard-headed, motivated people I know.”

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Pacers center Myles Turner has been involved in trade rumors off and on since arriving in Indiana and has never felt totally secure on the roster, so he’s not stressing about the fact that he’s entering a contract year without the ability to extend his contract prior to free agency in July, Dopirak writes for The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). “I can’t help but laugh,” Turner said. “I’m gonna keep it a stack. Every year at Indiana has been a contract year at this point, whether you’re fighting rumors or staying true to your grind and what not. I don’t really feel too much different.” General manager Chad Buchanan said last week that the Pacers are “big believers” in Turner and want to retain him beyond 2024/25.
Noting that Jarace Walker showed up to camp slimmer and in better condition than a year ago, Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) explores what last year’s eighth overall pick will have to do to earn playing time in his second NBA season. With Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin at power forward, Walker’s best chance to earn minutes could come at small forward, barring injuries.
Offseason addition James Wiseman has been limited during the early days of training camp due to a groin issue, while second-round pick Johnny Furphy tweaked both of his ankles, according to Dopirak (Twitter links). The Pacers will take a day off from practicing on Thursday to help allow some of the players with minor ailments to heal, per head coach Rick Carlisle.

Central Notes: Stewart, LaVine, Sheppard, Walker, Mathurin

September 8th, 2024 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Isaiah Stewart‘s role under new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is among the questions facing the Pistons as they prepare for training camp, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Stewart played nearly all his minutes at center during his first two NBA seasons, but that changed when the team added Jalen Duren in 2022. Langlois notes that Stewart was used at power forward 75% of the time last season, but his primary position is less certain than ever with a revamped roster.

Other than Stewart and Duren, offseason addition Paul Reed is Detroit’s only player who projects as a center. The Pistons claimed the four-year veteran after the Sixers waived him in July. Reed has shown promise backing up Joel Embiid in Philadelphia.

Detroit also added ex-Sixer Tobias Harris in free agency, and Langlois notes that he and Simone Fontecchio are examples of modern stretch fours. It’s possible that Bickerstaff could choose to dedicate the power forward minutes to those two proven three-point shooters, leaving Stewart to battle for playing time in the middle.

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Mending fences with Zach LaVine should be one of the priorities for the Bulls as they get ready for camp, observes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. The front office began trying to trade LaVine last fall in what was hoped to be the first step of a roster makeover. However, his massive contract and injury history doomed trade efforts and forced the team to keep him. LaVine is still owed $138MM over the next three years, so the Bulls need to build up his trade value ahead of the February deadline. Cowley states that coach Billy Donovan took the first step toward mending their relationship when he visited LaVine in Los Angeles this summer.
With their roster virtually set for the upcoming season, the Pacers are facing three option decisions that should be easy, per Tony East of Sports Illustrated. Indiana has until October 31 to pick up the third-year options for Ben Sheppard and Jarace Walker, along with the fourth-year option for Bennedict Mathurin. All three players appear to be part of the team’s future, so there’s no reason to part with any of them. The options would pay Sheppard $2.8MM, Walker $6.6MM and Mathurin $9.1MM for the 2025/26 season.
The Pacers announced in a press release that they have added Dr. Jaimie Rubin as Director of Sport Psychology and Team Wellness.

And-Ones: Risacher, Sarr, Sheppard, LeBron, TV Package, Beverley

July 27th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Dana Gauruder

The top two picks in the draft — Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr — were also two of the biggest disappointments during Summer League action, John Hollinger of The Athletic notes.

The Hawks‘ Risacher shot 11-of-28 from the floor in 59 minutes before being sidelined by a quad contusion. The Wizards‘ Sarr shot 0-of-15 from the field in his third game and only scored two points in his fourth outing. The Pacers‘ Jarace Walker and Timberwolves‘ Rob Dillingham were among the other notable players who struggled in Vegas.

On the flip side, third overall pick Reed Sheppard of the Rockets showcased his all-around skills, Hollinger writes. Another standout was Scotty Pippen Jr., who made a strong case to be the Grizzlies‘ backup point guard.

The Ringer’s J. Kyle Mann and ESPN’s experts also shared their thoughts on the biggest takeaways from Summer League action.

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LeBron James ranks No. 1 among the top 25 players in this century, according to a poll of ESPN experts. Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal round out the top five.
The new broadcasting deals signed by the league with Disney, NBC and Amazon include national broadcasts on every day of the week during the regular season. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps provides more details on the rights packages.
Patrick Beverley will not face criminal charges for throwing a basketball at a Pacers fan during the playoffs, The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov tweets. A Marion County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman said the county won’t bring charges after it reviewed the Indianapolis police department investigation. Beverley is expected to play with an Israeli team next season.

Nets’ Jalen Wilson Named Summer League MVP

July 22nd, 2024 at 6:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets forward Jalen Wilson has been named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League, the league’s communications department tweets.

Wilson averaged 21.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.6 steals while shooting 47.3% from the field and 55.0% from 3-point range in five games in Vegas.

His performances should solidify his spot on the team’s roster this upcoming season. The 23-year-old has a $1.89MM minimum-salary contract for 2024/25 that is currently just partially guaranteed for $75K. It increases to a partial guarantee of $325K if he makes the opening night roster.

Oddly, Wilson was only named to the All-Summer League Second Team. The First Team included the Grizzlies‘ GG Jackson II and Scotty Pippen Jr,, the Clippers‘ Jordan Miller, the Rockets‘ Reed Sheppard and the Heat‘s Kel’el Ware.

The Grizzlies and Heat reached the Summer League championship game. Sheppard, the No. 3 pick in last month’s draft, averaged 20.0 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals in four Las Vegas outings.

Along with Wilson, the Second Team included the Wizards‘ Carlton Carrington, the Trail Blazers‘ Donovan Clingan, the Heat‘s Jaime Jaquez Jr. and the Pacers‘ Jarace Walker (Twitter links).

Central Notes: Furphy, Walker, LaVine, Pistons’ Moves

July 7th, 2024 at 8:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Johnny Furphy had the unfortunate experience of sitting in the green room during the first day of the draft and not getting selected. The Pacers nabbed the former Kansas forward early in the second round. He came to the Summer League team ready to go.

“It’s something I’d been working for my whole life,” Furphy told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “It was just a massive relief. It was great to have my family there to share those moments with them. It was a dream come true. It’s pretty surreal, it’s just slowly settling in now that this is reality. It’s exciting.”

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The Pacers drafted Jarace Walker last year as a power forward. With Pascal Siakam re-signing with the club, Walker will get extended minutes at small forward during Summer League play. He’ll also get opportunities to handle the ball, according to Dopirak. “I feel like playing the three, I’m bigger and longer. I’m usually stronger so I’m probably going to have a smaller, quicker matchup,” he said. “Being able to move my feet, stay in front of those matchups and keep them from going downhill. That’s always been kind of my strong suit almost, my defensive versatility being able to guard multiple positions. It will be a challenge, but nothing I haven’t done for.”
The Bulls and Kings worked out a three-team deal in which DeMar DeRozan will head to Sacramento in a sign-and-trade. Chicago attempted to trade another starter to the Kings before the DeRozan deal materialized, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. The two teams held trade talks centered on Zach LaVine. The Bulls will continue their efforts to trade LaVine and they now have two second-round picks coming in the DeRozan deal to help facilitate a potential trade.
So far, Trajan Langdon has shown patience in his first year as the Pistons’ president of basketball operations and that’s a good thing, James Edwards III of The Athletic opines. Langdon has brought in veterans on short-team contracts with proven shooting ability to help out Cade Cunningham. He’s also got more cap space available to acquire other players in salary dumps with assets attached, as he did with Dallas in the Tim Hardaway Jr. trade.
In a similar piece, Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press asserts that the moves Langdon and his front office staff have made gives the Pistons some semblance of a modern NBA roster. Doubling last season’s 14-win total isn’t out of the question with the veterans they’ve added to help balance the roster, Windsor adds.