Although point guard Delon Wright isn’t guaranteed a regular season roster spot with the Pacers, he has a couple factors working in his favor, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
For one, while the Pacers are already carrying 15 players on standard contracts, one of those 15 is journeyman center Tony Bradley, whose salary for 2025/26 is non-guaranteed. As Dopirak observes, Bradley would be Indiana’s fourth center and may not be a necessary piece on this roster unless the team has concerns about one or both of Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman, who are returning from Achilles tears.
Wright has also played for Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle before — Carlisle was the head coach in Dallas when the veteran guard played a regular role off the bench for the Mavericks in 2019/20.
“Delon’s a good NBA player,” Carlisle said earlier this week. “He played for us in Dallas. He’s had good stints in a lot of places. … There’s an opportunity there for him. He seems to be in a good place physically and mentally. I think our style suits his abilities quite well.”
Competing for a roster spot in training camp is a new experience for Wright, who has appeared in 548 regular season games and another 47 playoff contests since entering the NBA as the 20th overall pick in the 2015 draft.
“I’ve never actually been in this situation,” Wright said. “I’ve been around the league 11 years now. They know what I do. They brought me here for a reason. If I am on the team, good. If not, I know I’ll give it my all. A lot of it is out of my control.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Jarace Walker came off the board eighth overall in the 2023 draft, but has played a relatively limited role at the NBA level thus far, averaging 14.1 minutes per night in 108 total appearances. Walker, who says he has learned a lot from Pascal Siakam, is extra motivated to make an impact after not getting to play in the NBA Finals due to a sprained ankle. The third-year forward has earned praise from Carlisle for his “tremendous” conditioning and hard work in camp. “It’s difficult being a top-10 pick,” Carlisle said, according to Dopirak (subscription required). “You feel like you’re supposed to go in there and be an impact guy. In our situation, his position was pretty crowded, so it took time. But he’s learned and he’s worked extremely hard and he’s positioned himself to be a major factor on this team.”
- Given that he was supposed to work as an assistant coach at the University of Nevada this season, Kyle Guy is an unlikely addition to the Pacers’ preseason roster. However, he tells Dopirak (subscription required) that he jumped at the opportunity when he got an Exhibit 10 offer from Indiana and is looking forward to playing for the team’s G League affiliate, the Noblesville Boom, while holding out hope that he can turn the audition into something more. “The goal is to make the (Pacers’) roster,” Guy said. “I’m not an idiot. I don’t know if that’s in the cards right now, but I think after I get my feet under me and play for the Boom and help establish a winning culture and a fun atmosphere there that I could make those things happen down the road.”
- Speaking of the Boom, Indiana’s NBAGL affiliate made a trade on Thursday, acquiring forward Ray Spalding‘s returning rights from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (the Rockets‘ affiliate) in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. That could point to Spalding signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Pacers later in camp to ensure he gets a bonus for playing for Noblesville this season.
Every time I read about Rick Carlisle I’m impressed by him as a man and coach.