Pascal Siakam

Pacers Notes: Nembhard, Siakam, Johnson

July 29th, 2024 at 6:53pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard could have waited longer before agreeing to his three-year extension worth about $59MM, Dustin Dopirak of IndyStar writes in a subscriber-only piece. In two years, Nembhard could have tested the market as an unrestricted free agent and seen if teams would have paid him to be a lead guard. However, Dopirak explains that the deal make sense for both sides.

Nembhard’s $2MM salary for 2024/25 is set to be the second-lowest on the team next season, only ahead of second-round rookie Johnny Furphy. By signing an extension now, Nembhard ensured he won’t have to earn a minimum salary in 2025/26 too, since his new deal replaced his team option for that year. His stock is also the highest it’s ever been after he averaged 14.9 points and 5.5 assists en route to a Pacers conference finals appearance.

Additionally, if staying with this group was an important factor for Nembhard, it made sense to sign now before Indiana gets too expensive. Myles Turner and T.J. McConnell are both set to become free agents next season and Bennedict Mathurin is soon to be extension-eligible.

As for the Pacers, locking up Nembhard to a deal worth just under $20MM per year could be a savvy move if the team believes in his postseason production. He looked like a legitimate lead guard in the last two games of the Celtics series, averaging 28.0 points. Immanuel Quickley could be a reference point for what Nembhard may have been able to get if the Pacers had held off, since he became a feature guard recently and earned a deal worth about $175MM. In other words, it made sense to sign Nembhard to a deal that runs through 2028 to prevent other teams from outbidding them in a couple years.

We have more from the Pacers:

Nembhard’s agent Todd Ramasar expects the guard to have a big summer for Team Canada in the Olympics after signing his extension, Mark Medina of Sportskeeda relays in an exclusive interview. Ramasar raved about the Pacers’ care for Nembhard through his career in the interview and stated that the trust they’ve shown in him is what led to the extension getting done now. “I think it’s good for both sides,” Ramasar said. “I think in a year or two that people are going to say it’s a bargain for the Pacers and maybe even after next season. … It takes pressure off him so he can focus purely on his game and help contribute to winning basketball with the Pacers.“
Ramasar is also Pascal Siakam‘s agent, and he said the two-time All-Star feels at peace this offseason after spending the last year worrying about his contract extension, according to Medina. Siakam signed a four-year extension worth $189.5MM. “There’s just a focus [on basketball this offseason],” Ramasar said. “There are no distractions.“
James Johnson‘s $3.3MM minimum-salary contract with the Pacers is partially guaranteed for $750K, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link). The full amount would become guaranteed if he remains under contract through January 7. Johnson has served as a locker-room presence for a young Indy team over the past two seasons, appearing in 27 games for the organization.
It’s somewhat possible that Johnson doesn’t make the opening-day roster if the Pacers decide they want to keep reigning G League Rookie of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe and sign 2024 second-rounder Enrique Freeman. Indiana only has one open two-way roster spot and no standard 15-man spots available. However, Johnson, Kendall Brown, and James Wiseman don’t have fully guaranteed salaries.

Pascal Siakam Signs Sign Four-Year Max Deal With Pacers

July 6th, 2024 at 3:20pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: Siakam has officially re-signed with the Pacers, according to the NBA’s transaction log. Assuming Siakam got the full max, as expected, the deal is worth approximately $188.95MM over four years.

JUNE 19: Siakam intends to sign a four-year, maximum-salary contract with the Pacers after the July moratorium ends, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). As outlined below, a four-year max deal would be worth $189.5MM based on the most recent cap projections.

JUNE 18: The Pacers and star forward Pascal Siakam are nearing an agreement on a long-term contract, reports Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).

The No. 3 free agent on our top-50 list, Siakam was traded from Toronto to Indiana in January after spending the first seven-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career in Toronto, where he earned two All-Star berths, two All-NBA nods, a Most Improved Player award, and a championship.

In his first 41 regular season games as a Pacer, the 30-year-old averaged 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 31.8 minutes per game with a shooting line of .549/.386/.699. Siakam was Indiana’s leading scorer in both the regular season and the playoffs — he averaged 21.6 PPG on 54.1% shooting in the postseason and helped lead his new club to series victories over Milwaukee and New York, resulting in the franchise’s first appearance in the Eastern Conference finals in 10 years.

The expectation is that Siakam, who is coming off a four-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension, will once again get the max or something very close to it on his new deal with the Pacers, though no terms have been reported yet. A max contract for Siakam projects to be worth approximately $189.5MM over four years or $245.3MM over five.

The NBA and NBPA agreed to a rule change that goes into effect this offseason, allowing teams to begin negotiating with their own free agents on the day after the end of the NBA Finals instead of on June 30.

Technically, the Pacers were allowed to talk to Siakam even before Tuesday, since he has been extension-eligible since arriving in Indiana. However, a player’s years and dollars in an extension are capped for six months after a trade, so Siakam will likely end up becoming a free agent and then signing a new contract instead of extending his current deal. That means that even if he and Indiana reach an agreement shortly, it’s unlikely to become official until July 6, after the moratorium ends.

With a new deal for Siakam on the books and Tyrese Haliburton‘s own five-year, maximum-salary extension taking effect in 2024/25, the Pacers won’t have any cap room available this offseason, barring cost-cutting moves. They’ll have some breathing room below the luxury tax line for now, but will have a few more contract decisions to make after they work out a deal with Siakam — Obi Toppin will be eligible for restricted free agency, Jalen Smith holds a $5.4MM player option that he may decline, and T.J. McConnell will be extension-eligible beginning in July.

Kings Rumors: No. 13 Pick, Caruso, Fox, Siakam, Kuzma, LaVine

June 24th, 2024 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings‘ No. 13 overall pick is “very available” in trade talks, according to Anthony Slater and Sam Amick of The Athletic, who report that Sacramento included that lottery selection in an offer for Alex Caruso before the Bulls decided to send the veteran guard to Oklahoma City instead.

As Slater and Amick detail, the Kings have brought in several late-lottery prospects for pre-draft workouts, including Purdue center Zach Edey. Former Duke standout Jared McCain also recently visited Sacramento for a workout, reports Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. However, there’s “more of an appetite” within the organization to add a veteran who could help the team win right away instead of a rookie, according to The Athletic’s report.

The ideal outcome for Sacramento, Slater and Amick write, would be acquiring a “mid-prime” player who can grow with the core of De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk. The Kings believe they have a three-to-six year window to contend with those players and would be willing to attach extra draft assets to this year’s No. 13 pick for the right trade target.

Here’s more on the Kings from The Athletic:

Fox will be extension-eligible starting in July, but he has decided he won’t sign a new contract this offseason, sources tell Slater and Amick. The star guard has two guaranteed years left on his current deal, so there’s no urgency to get anything done yet. Fox wants to see how the roster takes shape and could also still qualify for a super-max extension if he makes an All-NBA team in 2024/25.
The Kings came close to acquiring Pascal Siakam from Toronto before he was sent to Indiana, having backed off in large part because they weren’t confident about their chances of re-signing him. League sources tell The Athletic that there’s some level of regret within the organization about not pulling the trigger and trying to convince the star forward to sign long-term.
Ever since nearly trading for Kyle Kuzma in 2021, Kings general manager Monte McNair has maintained some level of interest in the Wizards forward, who is expected to be on Sacramento’s radar again this summer. League sources also confirm to Slater and Amick that Bulls guard Zach LaVine is a possible target for the Kings, though they’d likely have to be incentivized to take on his maximum-salary contract, which still has three years remaining.
After coming off the bench for the past two seasons, Monk has expressed a desire to start, but he agreed to re-sign with the Kings without having received any assurances about his role going forward, per Slater and Amick.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Kings, Siakam, Gordon, Suns

June 21st, 2024 at 7:13am CST by Luke Adams

While there was skepticism both inside and outside the Lakers‘ organization about how genuine the team’s pursuit of Dan Hurley earlier this month was, team owner Jeanie Buss was “highly motivated” to land the UConn head coach and was “genuinely disappointed” when it didn’t work out, sources tell Shams Charania, Sam Amick, and Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

After missing out on Hurley, the Lakers circled back to J.J. Redick, reaching a four-year deal on Thursday with the analyst and podcaster that will make him the club’s new head coach. According to The Athletic’s reporting, Redick had a phone call with Anthony Davis on Monday, which was viewed as an important step in the process, since the Lakers “prioritized Davis’ voice” throughout their coaching search. Davis and other key players were supportive of Redick’s hiring, sources tell The Athletic — while LeBron James isn’t specifically named, it’s safe to assume he approves of the choice to bring aboard his podcasting partner.

As has been previously reported, Scott Brooks, Rajon Rondo, Sam Cassell, and Jared Dudley are a few of the candidates on the Lakers’ wish list for spots on Redick’s new staff, per Charania, Amick, and Buha. However, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link) that the Mavericks will make a strong effort to retain Dudley, who has been an important part of Jason Kidd‘s staff in Dallas.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

A roundtable of ESPN writers discussed the Lakers‘ decision to hire Redick, sharing their thoughts on their former colleague getting his first NBA coaching job. All five panelists believe Redick will be the first Lakers head coach since Phil Jackson to remain in the position for more than three years.
The Kings pursued Pascal Siakam before he was sent to the Pacers, but ended those efforts after the forward reportedly conveyed that he likely wouldn’t sign with the team long-term. Appearing on The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross (YouTube link), Sam Amick of The Athletic explained why Siakam wasn’t enthusiastic about going to Sacramento. “There was an inference from his camp that over the years there were, behind the scenes, somewhat disparaging remarks made that came from the Kings about his game,” Amick said. “The way it was framed to me was that – in an attempt to drive down what it would to get him – some gossipy-type feedback on his game had gotten back to him. … That is the way it was put to me from his side.”
Responding to a report stating that Eric Gordon is “50-50” on exercising his player option with the Suns, plugged-in local reporter John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) says he doesn’t expect the veteran wing to be back in Phoenix next season.
Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports takes a look at five guards who might make sense as Suns targets in next week’s draft, with Marquette’s Tyler Kolek topping his list. Kolek reportedly visited Phoenix this week for a workout.

Stein’s Latest: Lakers’ Coaching Search, Nembhard, Siakam, Mitchell

June 5th, 2024 at 8:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

J.J. Redick and James Borrego have emerged as the top two names in the Lakers‘ coaching search, but there’s increased speculation about Monty Williams if the Pistons let him go, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column (subscription required). Detroit is going through an organizational shakeup after Trajan Langdon took over as head of basketball operations, and it’s possible that Williams could be replaced along with general manager Troy Weaver, even though Williams still has five years remaining on the $78MM contract he signed last summer.

Stein points out that the Lakers have pursued Williams before. Prior to hiring Frank Vogel in 2019, L.A. first reached out to Tyronn Lue, then turned to Williams after negotiations with Lue fell apart. Williams chose an offer from the Suns over the Lakers.

Signs still point to Redick as the favorite to be the next head coach, with the Lakers hoping to add Borrego as an assistant. However, Stein hears skepticism around the league that the Pelicans would agree to release their associate head coach from his contract for a lateral move.

There could be a small source of conflict if Redick is the selection, Stein adds, noting that Redick, who’s an awards voter due to his role as a broadcaster with ESPN, didn’t put Anthony Davis on his ballot for first or second team All-Defense honors. Davis finished fourth in the DPOY voting.

Stein shares more inside information from around the league:

The Pacers‘ Andrew Nembhard raised his value with a stellar postseason performance and some teams are now convinced that he can be a successful lead guard, sources tell Stein. That could eventually result in offers greater than what Indiana can give him in an extension this summer. Nembhard is only owed $2MM next season, so a four-year extension that replaces his 2025/26 team option would be worth about $75MM. Without an extension, the Pacers could make Nembhard a restricted free agent next summer by turning down their option for ’25/26 and issuing a qualifying offer. That would allow them to match any offer he gets on the open market.
Pacers forward Pascal Siakam is still considering whether to represent Cameroon in an Olympic qualifying tournament next month, Stein adds. One complication is that Siakam is expected to verbally commit to a new contract with Indiana before the start of free agency on June 30. However, the moratorium prevents that deal from being finalized until July 6, which is after the start of the international competition. Siakam may be reluctant to risk injury before his new deal is official.
A source tells Stein that the Cavaliers have reasons to be optimistic about their chances of an offseason extension with Donovan Mitchell. There has been repeated speculation that Mitchell might be moved this summer if he doesn’t make a long-term commitment.

Pacers Notes: Siakam, Turner, McConnell, L. Jones

June 5th, 2024 at 6:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

A new contract with free agent forward Pascal Siakam will be one of the Pacers‘ priorities this summer, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, who adds that the options to replace Siakam may be limited if they can’t re-sign him. The two-time All-Star was a valuable addition for Indiana after being acquired from Toronto in January and played a major role in the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals. He was the Pacers’ leading scorer at 21.7 PPG in the 41 regular season games he played, as well as their top scorer in the playoffs at 21.6 PPG.

“Pascal was a great fit,” general manager Chad Buchanan said. “Obviously, we targeted him in the trade. I’ve liked him for a long time and I thought he came in and was a tremendous piece to the puzzle for us and had major impact on the team both on the court and in the locker room. He seems to be happy here and we’re obviously happy with him and hope this is something long-term for both sides.”

If Siakam and the team are unable to out a new deal, Dopirak points to former Pacers star Paul George as a potential target. He and the Clippers haven’t been able to reach an extension agreement, with L.A. reportedly unwilling to give George the four-year contract he desires. Dopirak also names the Knicks’ OG Anunoby, the Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan, the Hornets’ Miles Bridges and the Sixers’ Tobias Harris as other free agents who could replace Siakam, but Indiana would face competition for all of them and wouldn’t necessarily have the cap room necessary to pursue some of them.

There’s more on the Pacers:

In a separate story for The Indianapolis Star, Dopirak looks at each player on the roster and examines their prospects for next season. He states that the team and center Myles Turner have both expressed interest in another extension before he becomes a free agent in 2025.
T.J. McConnell went from being out of the rotation on opening night to playing crucial minutes in the conference finals, Wheat Hotchkiss of NBA.com notes in a player review. The veteran guard’s value to the Pacers became more apparent as the season wore on, and he looks like a bargain for next season at $9.3MM in the final year of his contract. “Getting this franchise back into the playoffs and making a run to the Eastern Conference Finals when not a single person had us going there, it was really fun just to play alongside the group and in games like that,” McConnell said.
After participating in a pre-draft workout with the Pacers on Tuesday, Purdue’s Lance Jones talked about the prospect of staying in Indiana for his NBA career (video link from the Indianapolis Star). “It’s very exciting,” Jones said. “I love Indiana. They’ve accepted me with open arms, and it just feels like another home for me.”

And-Ones: Top Free Agents, Cousins, Ayayi, Barkley

June 1st, 2024 at 9:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers star LeBron James is the top name on a list of possible free agents compiled by Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Even as he nears age 40, James has the potential to shake up the league if he turns down his $51.4MM player option and decides to test the market this summer.

Pincus acknowledges that James is likely to remain in L.A. no matter what he does with the option. He can either opt in and extend his contract for two more seasons or opt out and negotiate a new deal starting at $49.4MM. Either way, Pincus expects James’ next contract to run through the 2026/27 season.

Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey is second on Pincus’ list, but he’s almost certain to reach a maximum extension with Philadelphia, which can pay him significantly more than any rival team. Pacers forward Pascal Siakam, Clippers forward Paul George and Clippers guard James Harden round out the top five.

There’s more news from around the basketball world:

Former NBA center DeMarcus Cousins earned Finals MVP honors as he led the Taiwan Beer Leopards to the Taiwan T1 league title, according to ClutchPoints (Twitter link). The six-time All-Star, who hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2021/22 season, joined the Taiwanese team in mid-April.
Shooting guard Joel Ayayi, who appeared in seven games with Washington during the 2021/22 season, has signed with JL Bourg in France. The French native played his college ball at Gonzaga, then spent two years in the G League before joining Nanterre 92 this season.
As Charles Barkley laments the possible loss of Inside the NBA, he’s also publicly negotiating his next contract, according to Bryan Curtis of The Ringer. Curtis notes that the show’s demise will make Barkley the most in-demand free agent in TV sports history. He adds that Barkley is doing a masterful job of promoting himself by being extremely quotable and appearing on a large number of shows to increase his visibility. Curtis states that Barkley’s approach to the business can be summed up by something he said on a podcast when he was negotiating with LIV Golf two years ago: “I love my job at TNT. I love the people. But you have to take all meetings.”

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Title Contention, Siakam

May 28th, 2024 at 6:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

If Tyrese Haliburton was given the choice of playing in Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, he would have suited up. However, the Pacers star isn’t upset with the team over its decision to hold him out as the Celtics completed a sweep, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star.

Haliburton suffered a hamstring injury in Game 2. He could barely walk after the contest.

“There was obviously an organization-wide meeting with our front office, with agents, with everybody,” he said. “They did what their job is, to protect me from myself and wouldn’t allow me play Game 3. I understand the long-term implications of the chances of re-hurting my hamstring. I’m just very thankful for this organization from protecting me from myself.”

Haliburton said this hamstring strain was different from the one he suffered during the winter, which caused him to miss 10 games.

“It’s a whole new thing,” Haliburton said. “Same hamstring. Just a different spot. It’s definitely frustrating. Anyone who watched me play understood that I was never really 100% after the first time dealing with that. But I wanted to be on the floor. I wanted to play. The 65-game rule (to qualify for postseason awards) was obviously a thing, but I wanted to play. I wanted to play basketball.”

We have more on the Pacers:

Haliburton says he’ll hang around Indianapolis and rehab the injury to get ready for the Paris Olympics, Dopirak adds. “I have no concern,” Haliburton said of the injury potentially affecting his Olympic status. “Basically, I have six weeks until I have to report to camp. I’ll be in Indy for the majority of my treatment and rehab. Six weeks is a pretty long time. I didn’t have that ever during the year with the previous injury, so there’s no concern. The organization will be sending medical staff with me the whole time. I don’t really have concern.”
Despite getting swept, they are closer to being championship contenders than some experts may believe, according to Seerat Sohi of The Ringer. They will have the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception to acquire another impact rotation player, plus plenty of draft capital along with a relatively young roster than will continue to develop. The Athletic’s Eric Nehm expresses a similar view, noting the Pacers were without Bennedict Mathurin during the postseason due to shoulder surgery and that seven of their top eight players in minutes played could be back next season.
The Pacers’ biggest priority this offseason will be re-signing Pascal Siakam and coach Rick Carlisle says it’s essential that the franchise retains the veteran power forward, Dopirak relays. “The first very important step is to begin recruiting Pascal Siakam in earnest,” Carlisle said. “That will start today with exit meetings. He’s a great player. He was tremendous for us. The acquisition of him in late January really was a key enabler for us to not only make the playoffs but be able to advance in the playoffs. That’s something you simply cannot take for granted.” The Athletic’s Shams Charania stated on FanDuel’s Run It Back program (video link) that the Pacers are prepared to offer Siakam a max contract and “there’s mutual interest in getting a deal done.”

Pacers Notes: Siakam, Toppin, McConnell, Nembhard, Turner

May 28th, 2024 at 8:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers entered the Eastern Conference finals as massive underdogs, played without their best player (Tyrese Haliburton) for more than half the series, and were ultimately dispatched by the top-seeded Celtics in four games. However, as Jamal Collier of ESPN writes, it feels like a missed opportunity for the team, which had at least a 90% win probability in the fourth quarter of Games 1, 3, and 4, per ESPN Stats & Information.

“It’s still very fresh for all of us,” starting center Myles Turner said following Monday’s Game 4 loss. “Very frustrating to have all these games in your grasp and let it slip through.”

As disheartening as the outcome was, the Pacers recognize they exceeded preseason expectations by making the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and winning two series. Starting guard Andrew Nembhard referred to the postseason experience as “second to none,” while reserve forward Obi Toppin said a “lot of good” came out of the season, adding that “we grew as a whole culture.” Still, there was frustration about not better taking advantage of the opportunity they had this year, since there’s no guarantee that opportunity will arise again.

“I can tell you like, yeah, we’re going to learn from it and it’s going to happen, but it’s not guaranteed,” Pascal Siakam said, per Collier. “I know how hard it is to get to this point. It’s unfortunate. You want to give credit to the other team because they took advantage of every mistake that we made. They did well.

“But for us, it’s been hard, like heartbreaking losses after heartbreaking losses. Yeah, you’re going to be encouraged by it and you hope to put the right amount of work to continue to get better. Because we need to be a lot better if you want to compete with those teams. And understand it doesn’t matter how good we played, we didn’t get it done.”

Here’s more on the Pacers:

An unrestricted free agent this summer, Siakam declined to specifically address his contract situation but spoke glowingly about the half-season he spent in Indiana after being traded from the Raptors to the Pacers in January. “It’s been a blessing,” Siakam said (Twitter video link via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). “I’m really appreciative of everything. Coming from where I come from, it means a lot. The support that I’ve received here is something I was kind of missing. Having all that and seeing how the city just breathes basketball and how much support they give to the team…it’s incredible. How would you not be a part of that? I’m just really blessed and happy how this has been.”
Re-signing Siakam will be the Pacers’ top priority this summer, as Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) and Mark Deeks of HoopsHype write in their previews of the club’s offseason, though it seems unlikely to be a drawn-out process, Marks observes. Re-signing Toppin and perhaps extending T.J. McConnell could be more challenging negotiations, Marks notes, and improving the defense will be another major offseason goal.
While the Pacers would certainly have preferred to have a healthy Haliburton available for Games 3 and 4 vs. Boston, the performances Nembhard submitted as the starting point guard were bright spots in the final days of Indiana’s season, writes Kyle Neddenriep of The Indianapolis Star. Nembhard averaged 28.0 points, 9.5 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game on .564/.538/1.000 shooting in those two tight losses and “defended at a high level,” per head coach Rick Carlisle. “He could be a starter on any team in this league,” McConnell said of Nembhard, who does typically start alongside Haliburton at the two. “He’s proven that night in and night out. What he’s done in the playoffs is truly remarkable, where defenses are game-planning even more for you. He just rose to the challenge every night.” Nembhard will be extension-eligible this offseason but is still under team control on a minimum-salary deal for two more seasons, so there’s no urgency to get a deal done right away.
Making it this deep in the postseason was special for Turner, who said he’s never been beyond the first round of the playoffs in his life, even in high school. As James Boyd of The Athletic details, few NBA players have been with their current teams longer than Turner has been a Pacer, which made this year’s success more rewarding for the veteran center, who has been the subject of trade rumors multiple times over the years and seemed on the verge of being replaced when Indiana signed Deandre Ayton to a maximum-salary offer sheet in 2022. “It’s a rarity that one player is with an organization as long as I’ve been, so I definitely don’t take it for granted. I have a lot of love for the city, and I try to express it as much as I can,” Turner said. “But to be frank, I have dealt with a lot of bullsh–t since I been here. Honestly, just battling sometimes with non-believers, having to deal with all of the trade rumors, having another big man signed right in front of my eyes. … No matter what was thrown in front of me, I’m gonna continue to be the consummate professional and the man that I am. It’s very easy to be like, ‘This happened, so I’m gonna up,’ or, ‘They gave up on me, so I’m gonna give up on them.’ That’s not my M.O.”

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Carlisle, Bench, More

May 24th, 2024 at 5:02pm CST by Luke Adams

After Tyrese Haliburton left Game 2 early due to left hamstring soreness on Thursday, the Pacers have listed the star guard as questionable to play in Saturday’s Game 3 (Twitter link). While Haliburton was also said to be dealing with a chest issue in Game 2, the hamstring soreness is his only ailment mentioned on the official injury report.

Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) explores how the Pacers might try to make up for Haliburton’s absence in the event that he’s unable to play in Game 3. As Dopirak notes, the team has solid alternatives at point guard in Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell but might have to dig deeper into its rotation at other positions to cover Haliburton’s minutes. Nembhard and McConnell also wouldn’t be able to replicate the play-making and outside shooting that the All-NBA guard provides.

“He does so many things for our team where everyone just has to move the ball more and get in the paint more,” McConnell said. “The ball movement, like I said, just has to be at another level. He gets 10 assists in his sleep. It’s hard for another person on our team to replicate that. It’s a group effort when he goes down to kinda get people the ball and get moving.”

Here’s more on the Pacers:

Whether or not Haliburton is healthy, the Pacers won’t have any hope of beating pulling off a comeback and beating Boston in the Eastern Conference finals if they play like they did on Thursday, Gregg Doyel writes in a column for The Indianapolis Star (subscription required).
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle raised some eyebrows in Game 2 by leaning on little-used bench players like Doug McDermott, Jarace Walker, Kendall Brown, and Jalen Smith in the fourth quarter while sitting Myles Turner, Aaron Nesmith, and Pascal Siakam for most or all of the final period. Carlisle explained why he went to his bench so early despite facing a deficit that didn’t seem insurmountable. “To look at some guys that I thought needed a look,” Carlisle said, per Dopirak. “McDermott went in there and played well. Isaiah Jackson brought a lot of fight to the game. Jalen Smith hasn’t had much of an opportunity to play in the playoffs, so I wanted to see where he was at. We weren’t giving up, but it was an opportunity to get some energetic fresh guys in there to fight. They did some good things. … The guys who had played to that point, Pascal was very tired. Aaron had four fouls and he was tired. That was it.”
Prior to Game 2, Haliburton told reporters that Indiana has the “best bench in the NBA,” Dopirak writes in another Indy Star story (subscription required). McConnell, Obi Toppin, and Ben Sheppard are the Pacers reserves who have seen the most action this postseason, leading a second unit that ranks No. 1 in the playoffs with 33.4 points per game.
While many NBA fans didn’t assign much meaning to the league’s first in-season tournament earlier this season, making the championship game in that tournament benefited a Pacers team that hadn’t made the playoffs since 2020, says Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “There were some real playoff simulations — our quarterfinal game at home, on a Monday night, against (the Celtics), had the feel of a conference finals-matchup atmosphere,” Carlisle said. “The part about going to Vegas and playing there, that was different, but there was certainly the exposure, the stage, all that. So, all those experiences help a young team.”

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