Malcolm Brogdon

Malcolm Brogdon Expects To Return On Friday

Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon expects to return on Friday after missing over a month due to a right Achilles injury, tweets James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. It will be Indiana’s first game after the All-Star break, with the Thunder in town.

Although Brogdon last played on January 19, the injury has bothered him for longer than that. The Achilles issue and a stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols have limited the veteran guard to just three total appearances since December 15.

In 28 games (33.4 MPG) this season, Brogdon has averaged 18.5 PPG, 5.9 APG, and 5.1 RPG, though he’s had a down year from a shot-making perspective — his .307 3PT% would be a career low.

With a 20-40 record, Indiana is well out of the playoff picture, but Brogdon indicated today that he’s not throwing the towel in on the season. “I want to play. I want to win,” he said of his approach the rest of the way (Twitter link via Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files).

The Pacers will likely be curious to see how Brogdon looks alongside newly-acquired point guard Tyrese Haliburton. The organization clearly views Haliburton as part of its long-term backcourt, so if he and Brogdon mesh quickly, that bodes well for the veteran’s future in Indiana. A report earlier this month suggested there are some rival executives who believe the Pacers will trade Brogdon in the offseason.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle provided a few more injury updates on Wednesday, telling reporters that Myles Turner (foot) is still at least a “couple weeks” away, while T.J. Warren (foot) practiced, but still doesn’t have a timeline set for his return (Twitter link via Boyd).

Central Notes: Brogdon, Bembry, Pistons, Olynyk

The Pacers will enter the All-Star break without any clarity about starting guard Malcolm Brogdon, who is dealing with a right Achilles injury, writes James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. Brogdon hasn’t returned since being shut down January 22 for a 10-day rehab program, and he has appeared in just two games since December 21. He had been listed as questionable in the team’s recent injury reports, but was downgraded to out for tonight’s game with the Wizards.

“Obviously it’ll be after the break before he plays,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s continuing to make good progress. The hope is that after the break he can be ready. But nothing’s for sure, so we’ll just hope for the best.”

Brogdon has missed 15 straight games and 32 of the first 60 games of the season. He has been productive when he has played, averaging 18.5 points, 5.9 assists and 5.1 rebounds per night, but his absence has been in a factor in Indiana falling out of the playoff race.

“Right now, this where we are, but with an additional seven or eight days for the break, and I know he’s gonna be continuing to do work through the break, the hope is that coming out of it he could possibly be ready to go,” Carlisle said. “But I’m not saying that that’s gonna happen. We’re just hoping that it could go that way.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Hield, Turner, Brogdon, Smith, Sabonis

New addition Tyrese Haliburton said the Kings gave him no indication that he might be traded to the Pacers or any other team, as Wheat Hotchkiss of Pacers.com writes. “It’s just overwhelming,” Haliburton told reporters on Thursday, following his first practice with Indiana. “I had no idea, they gave me no indication this was happening.”

Haliburton said it’s hard not to feel a little circumspect entering a new city after being hurt, but he’s still excited for a fresh opportunity.

It’s scary, right?” he said. “I’ve put a lot of love, a lot of trust in Sacramento and kind of immersed myself in the community and with the people. They got rid of me, but you know that’s part of the business. I think that’s kind of my best trait. It’s like somebody who just loves hard. I want to be here. I want to be a part of it.

“It can be the biggest upside, but it can be a big downfall, too. It hurt when I got traded because I loved being there and I loved the people, but coming here I’m going to do the same thing. They’ve shown me nothing but love since I’ve gotten here and they’re another organization taking a chance on me (when) they have no reason to. So I’ll put everything I’ve got into it.”

Here’s more from Indiana:

  • Buddy Hield, who was also part of the trade, said it was “a shift that was needed,” after a disappointing season in Sacramento, Joel Lorenzi of The Indianapolis Star relays. “Just want to go there and do what I do best, shoot the ball and try to make opportunities for my teammates,” Hield said. “Just bring the positive energy I can bring to this team.”
  • Coach Rick Carlisle said Myles Turner (stress reaction in foot) will be out through the All-Star break, but Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles soreness) is “close” to returning. Neither player has an official timetable, James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star tweets.
  • If Jalen Smith plays well with the Pacers, he might price himself out of Indiana for an unusual reason, according to Nat Newell of The Indianapolis Star. Smith, who the Pacers acquired in a trade that sent Torrey Craig to the Suns, had his third-year team option declined by Phoenix, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer, but with one big caveat — Indiana can only offer up to the amount of his declined option, which was $4,670,160.
  • Two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, who was sent to the Kings as part of the trade that brought Hield and Haliburton to Indiana, thanked Pacers fans on Instagram recently, Newell writes in a separate story for The Star.

Pacers Rumors: Brogdon, Hield, Warren, Craig, Turner, Korkmaz

There are rival executives around the NBA who believe the Pacers will trade Malcolm Brogdon this offseason following their acquisition of Tyrese Haliburton, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Brogdon isn’t eligible to be traded this season due to the contract extension he signed in the fall, but could be moved in the summer

The Pacers shouldn’t feel any urgency to deal Brogdon, since he and Haliburton are both solid ball-handlers, defenders, and shooters who could complement one another in the backcourt. But the presence of Haliburton certainly will give Indiana more options if the team wants to try to use Brogdon in a trade to address another area of the roster.

According to Scotto, the Pacers are also open to flipping newly-acquired shooting guard Buddy Hield prior to Thursday’s trade deadline. Hield’s $23MM cap hit and the $40MM he’s owed for the two seasons after this one will probably make it tricky for the club to get much of value for him, especially since he has had a down year — his .368 3PT% is the worst mark of his career.

Here’s more on the Pacers:

  • Veteran forwards T.J. Warren and Torrey Craig are among the other players the Pacers have made available in advance of Thursday’s trade deadline, league sources tell Scotto. Warren, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, hasn’t played since December 2020 due to a foot injury, so teams may be reluctant to take a flier on him.
  • Myles Turner is expected to remain with the Pacers beyond the deadline, a source with knowledge of the team’s thinking tells Chris Mannix of SI.com. Mannix and Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com have both heard that the Pistons and Pacers discussed a swap centered around Turner and Jerami Grant, but Bulpett says Indiana rejected it. According to Bulpett, the Bucks have also shown some interest in Turner to fill the Brook Lopez role on their roster, with Lopez’s availability for the rest of the season up in the air.
  • The Pacers have some interest in Sixers wing Furkan Korkmaz, believing that he could benefit from a change of scenery, sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. A career 37.7% three-point shooter entering this season, Korkmaz has made just 28.7% of his attempts from beyond the arc in 2021/22.

Central Notes: DiVincenzo, McConnell, Brogdon, White, Sexton

Bucks swingman Donte DiVincenzo has heard his name in trade rumors but he’s not fretting over it, as he told Eric Nehm of The Athletic. DiVincenzo hopes to remain in Milwaukee this season.

“What can you focus on? What can you control? I can control my attitude and my effort every day,” DiVincenzo said. “And those are two things that no matter what, the business side is going to handle itself, I can control the attitude and effort. And if a trade happens? I went through a trade! I experienced that. I’m cool. I want to be here.”

DiVincenzo wasn’t signed to a rookie scale extension during the offseason. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer.

“I’m not one to focus on what’s four or five months ahead of me,” he said. “If you sit down and focus on coming in every day and focus on what do I have to do today and get better today? Everything else takes care of itself.”

We have more from the Central Division:

  • 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.
  • Coby White has been showing versatility as the Bulls try to figure out what role he’s best suited for with the current roster, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times writes. White isn’t upset about having to switch gears on the fly. “Whatever the team needs me to do,” he said. “My role changes all the time. I’ve just got to adapt and continue to adjust. It’s nothing new for me. I’ve been doing it for awhile. Whatever the team needs I’m down to do whatever.”
  • The Cavaliers are not expecting Collin Sexton to return from meniscus surgery this season even though the young guard is optimistic about his recovery, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer said on the Wine and Gold Podcast (hat tip to HoopsHype). “Everybody that I’ve talked to in the organization, there is nobody that even in their mind once considered the possibility of Collin Sexton returning for the postseason,” Fedor said. Sexton indicated recently he hadn’t ruled out a potential return during the playoffs.

Pacers Guard Malcolm Brogdon To Be Shut Down For 10 Days

The Pacers will shut down guard Malcolm Brogdon for the next 10 days, tweets James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. Coach Rick Carlisle told reporters that Brogdon will undergo a rehab program for his injured right Achilles.

Brogdon has only been able to play two games in the past month because of the injury, as well as a stay in the league’s health and safety protocols. He logged 17 minutes in a January 12 game against the Celtics and 26 minutes in Wednesday’s contest with the Lakers.

Brogdon, the team’s starting point guard, has appeared in 28 games this season, averaging 18.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per night. However, he’s shooting a career-low 30.7% from three-point range.

Brogdon’s condition is part of a terrible run of injuries for the Pacers, who have lost Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis in the past week. T.J. McConnell had hand surgery last month and may miss the rest of the season, while T.J. Warren has yet to play this season because of a foot fracture.

COVID-19 Updates: Noel, Hornets, Pacers, Ingles, Reed, Bucks, Metu

Knicks center Nerlens Noel has cleared the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, per New York’s PR team (Twitter link). Noel entered the protocols in late December.

The 6’11” big man has only appeared in 17 contests, starting 10, for New York so far this season. The 27-year-old out of Kentucky is averaging 3.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.5 BPG and 1.1 SPG across 23.1 MPG. Knee injuries kept Noel absent for much of the start of the 2021/22 season. He signed a lucrative three-year, $32MM contract with the Knicks during the offseason.

Here are a few more protocol-related updates:

Julius Randle, Three Pacers Enter COVID-19 Protocols

Knicks power forward Julius Randle has entered the health and safety protocols and will miss Friday’s game vs. Oklahoma City, the team announced today (via Twitter). If Randle registered a confirmed positive COVID-19 test, he’ll remain sidelined for at least six days or until he can return two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

Randle logged 26 minutes in the Knicks’ win in Detroit on Wednesday night after playing over 37 minutes on Tuesday in Minnesota, so his teammates and recent opponents will likely be monitoring for symptoms of their own in the coming days.

Here are a few more COVID-related updates from around the league:

  • After placing Jeremy Lamb in the health and safety protocols on Wednesday, the Pacers have had three more players enter the protocols today, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Malcolm Brogdon, Chris Duarte, and Isaiah Jackson are joining Lamb. Indiana had avoided a COVID-19 outbreak so far this month, but it may be catching up to the team now.
  • Bucks forward Semi Ojeleye has entered the protocols, tweets Wojnarowski. Milwaukee had multiple players in the protocols earlier in the month, but Ojeleye is the team’s lone player affected for now.
  • Timberwolves forward Jarred Vanderbilt has exited the COVID-19 protocols and should be available on Friday vs. Utah, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Minnesota is down to just three players in the protocols, though Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell are two of those three.

Pacers Notes: Carlisle, Simmons, Duarte, Turner

Rick Carlisle planned to coach a contender when he was hired by the Pacers in June, but he’s not having second thoughts now that the franchise is giving serious consideration to rebuilding, writes Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Off to a disappointing start that has them 13th in the East, the Pacers have let it be known that they’re willing to move veterans Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner and Caris LeVert. It’s not what Carlisle was expecting, but he indicated that he’s committed to his job no matter what the front office decides to do.

“Listen, I’m am hour-to-hour, day-to-day guy,” he said. “I like this roster. These guys are wonderful people, damn good players. We’ve had some bad luck with a lot of different things. Now it’s injuries and some other stuff. It’s all about trying to get it a little better each day. One percent better, two percent better and if you look at our season and all the close games, a lot of it comes down to one or two percent. We just got to keep pushing in that direction to keep doing a little better.”

Agness was at practice on Tuesday as all three players were informed of an impending story from The Athletic about them being on the trade market. Meeting with players amid trade rumors is a policy that Kevin Pritchard adopted when he became president of basketball operations in 2018, and Carlisle said honesty is important.

“It’s just communication,” he explained. “Letting those guys know that we’re trying to win games. We want to make this thing work. Beyond that, it’s just basic communication and talking to your top players.”

There’s more from Indiana:

  • The Pacers have called the Sixers several times about Ben Simmons, including once before signing Malcolm Brogdon to a two-year extension in October, Agness adds. In a discussion of Indiana’s situation, Athletic writers Seth Partnow, Sam Vecenie and Danny Leroux explore whether a deal can be made involving Simmons and the chances of Sabonis being shipped to a third team in such a trade.
  • As a 24-year-old rookie Chris Duarte may attract some attention from contenders, Vecenie suggests in the same piece. Duarte is making $3.749MM on the first year of his rookie contract and will carry an affordable salary for several years.
  • The Pacers may find Turner the most in demand of their available veterans, per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. The 26-year-old center can block shots and make three-pointers and he doesn’t need to handle the ball a lot to be effective. With a $17.5MM salary for both this season and 2022/23, Turner could be a good fit for the Hornets, Pincus states, with Charlotte sending back Mason Plumlee and a prospect such as PJ Washington, James Bouknight, Kai Jones or JT Thor. Pincus sees the Lakers, Warriors, Mavericks and Spurs as other teams that might bid for Turner.

Pacers Open To Roster Shakeup, Intend To Be Active On Trade Market

After getting off to a slow start this season, the Pacers have become receptive to the idea of pivoting to a rebuild and trading multiple veterans, sources tell Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz of The Athletic. According to The Athletic’s duo, the team intends to be “very active” prior to the February 10 trade deadline.

Charania and Kravitz identify swingman Caris LeVert and big men Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis as some of the Pacers’ potential trade candidates. All three players have generated “significant interest” from rival teams, per The Athletic’s sources. It’s unclear if Indiana would be willing to move both Turner and Sabonis or just one of the two, but Charania and Kravitz suggest a breakup of the two centers “now appears on the horizon.”

T.J. Warren, who is on an expiring contract, could also theoretically be a trade chip, but he continues to recover from a foot injury and has told team management that he’d like to remain in Indianapolis, sources tell Charania and Kravitz. Malcolm Brogdon is ineligible to be traded this year after recently signing an extension.

The Pacers would like to open up more playing time for rookies Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson. The team raved about Jackson during the preseason and Duarte has quickly become a favorite of head coach Rick Carlisle, according to The Athletic.

Pacers owner Herb Simon, who is 87 years old, has historically resisted the idea of rebuilding due to concerns that any extended period of losing could substantially hurt attendance in one of the NBA’s smaller markets. However, with the Pacers already second-last in the league in attendance this season, Simon – apparently recognizing that it can’t get much worse – has become more willing to get on board with a rebuild, per Charania and Kravitz.

The Athletic’s duo clarifies that the Pacers don’t intend to embark on a years-long “tankathon” akin to the Sixers’ “Process,” but president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard and the front office are prepared to make some major roster changes and look ahead to the future after starting the season with a 10-16 record (13th in the East).

It’s worth noting that Indiana has been hurt this season by poor showings in crunch-time minutes and perhaps isn’t as bad as that 10-16 record suggests. Despite missing Warren – their top scorer in the 2020 Orlando bubble – the Pacers have a positive point differential through their first 26 games. However, even with some better late-game luck and a healthy Warren, the current roster probably doesn’t have the upside to legitimately contend for a title.

Rival teams aren’t sure how soon the Pacers will be ready to make deals, according to Charania and Kravitz. The expectation is that the front office will exercise patience and wait for the best offers to materialize, so it’s possible Indiana won’t do anything major until closer to the deadline. Trade talks around the league figure to start picking up a little next Wednesday, when more than 100 players become newly trade-eligible.