Indiana Pacers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacers’ Mike Weinar Withdraws From Knicks Search For Top Assistant

August 6th, 2025 at 9:52am CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers assistant Mike Weinar has removed his name from consideration for the Knicks‘ top assistant position, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweets.

Ian Begley of SNY (Twitter link) confirms Weinar has removed withdrawn from consideration to be Mike Brown‘s offensive coordinator and lead assistant, adding that Hornets assistant Chris Jent remains a candidate for the job. New York’s interest in Jent was reported over the weekend.

Jent guided Charlotte to the Summer League title last month. Prior to arriving in Charlotte, he spent five years on the Hawks’ bench (2017-22) and two seasons with the Lakers (2022-24).

Jent served as the interim head coach for the Magic for the final 18 games of the 2004/05 season.

Weinar has spent the bulk of his NBA career working with head coach Rick Carlisle in Dallas and Indiana. Prior to his time with the Pacers, he served as an assistant for the Mavericks, having transitioned from a basketball operations role to join the coaching staff. His tenure in Dallas included the club’s 2011 title run.

According to Bondy, there were family considerations involved in Weinar’s decision.

Carlisle Expects Mathurin To Be Pacers’ Starting SG In 2025/26

August 5th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Former lottery pick Bennedict Mathurin has been in and out of the Pacers‘ starting lineup in his first three NBA seasons, making 85 starts in 209 total outings. With Tyrese Haliburton out for 2025/26 due to a torn Achilles, the expectation heading into this fall is that Mathurin will be Indiana’s full-time starting shooting guard, head coach Rick Carlisle told Caitlin Cooper of Basketball, She Wrote (YouTube link).

“I’ll break the news right here: I’m projecting him as our starter at two this year,” Carlisle said of Mathurin (Twitter video clip). “I’ve told him this. I was on the phone with him and his agent four days ago and I said, ‘You’re going to be with the starters on day one. It’s your job to lose.'”

After being drafted sixth overall out of Arizona in 2022, Mathurin showed off impressive scoring ability as a rookie, averaging 16.7 points per game and earning Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year votes in ’22/23. The 6’5″ wing missed part of his second year due to a shoulder injury before returning this past season to put up 16.1 PPG with a career-best 45.8% field goal percentage.

Speaking to Cooper, Carlisle raved about Mathurin’s knack for getting to the free throw line and his ability to put the ball in the basket. However, he noted that other aspects of the 23-year-old’s game – including his passing, his quick decision making, and his fit in the Pacers’ system – are still works in progress.

“Our job as coaches is to meld guys like him that aren’t necessarily seamless fits into a style that is effective for the rest of the guys, and bring both forces hopefully closer together as time goes on,” Carlisle said.

Carlisle spoke in March about the Pacers’ ongoing efforts to incorporate Mathurin’s more ball-dominant, one-on-one style within the movement-oriented flow of a Haliburton-led offense. With Haliburton ruled out for all of 2025/26, Mathurin will take on increased responsibilities offensively and may have more freedom to try to score however he can.

It will be interesting to see how Mathurin’s growing importance in Indiana this fall will influence contract talks between his camp and the Pacers. The Canadian swingman will be eligible for a rookie scale extension up until October 20 and it could be a challenge for the two sides to reach an agreement on a long-term deal, given the way Mathurin’s role has fluctuated in the past and the fact that he could be well positioned for a career year in 2025/26.

Mathurin will earn roughly $9.2MM in the final year of his rookie contract. If he and the Pacers don’t work out an extension before the season, he’d be eligible for a qualifying offer of nearly $12.3MM next summer, assuming he meets the starter criteria.

Latest On Knicks’ Offensive Coordinator Search

August 3rd, 2025 at 7:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Hornets assistant Chris Jent is considered a leading candidate to become the Knicks‘ offensive coordinator, according to SiriusXM NBA Radio host Frank Isola (Twitter link).

Ian Begley of SNY, meanwhile, reports (via Twitter) that the Knicks have been in contact with Pacers assistant Mike Weinar. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post confirms (via Twitter) Begley’s report while adding that Weinar is also in consideration for the offensive coordinator role and is considered a strong candidate for the lead assistant job on Mike Brown‘s staff.

Jent is a longtime NBA assistant coach who joined the Hornets in 2024 and guided Charlotte’s Summer League title to a title last month. Prior to arriving in Charlotte, he spent five years on the Hawks’ bench (2017-22) and two seasons with the Lakers (2022-24).

Jent served as the interim head coach for the Magic for the final 18 games of the 2004/05 season. He had a brief playing career in the NBA, which included a three-game stint with the Knicks in 1996.

Weinar, prior to his time with the Pacers, served as an assistant for the Mavericks, having transitioned from a basketball operations role to join the coaching staff. His tenure in Dallas included the club’s 2011 title run.

The Knicks have also reportedly shown interest in Greg St. Jean from the Lakers and Patrick Mutombo from the Grizzlies as they continue to search for candidates to fill out the coaching staff under Mike Brown.

Signed Second-Round Picks Now Count Against Cap

July 31st, 2025 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

Between July 1 and July 30 of each NBA league year, a player signed using the second-round pick exception doesn’t count toward his team’s cap, but that changes as of July 31. Beginning on Thursday, each of the second-rounders signed using that exception will begin carrying 2025/26 cap hits.

[RELATED: 2025 NBA Draft Pick Signings]

The effect this will have on teams around the league is negligible. The only club still operating below the cap is Brooklyn, but the Nets didn’t make any second-round picks in this year’s draft and haven’t signed any second-rounders that were stashed from previous drafts, so this change won’t reduce their cap room at all.

The Nets are far from the only NBA team that hasn’t signed a second-round pick to a standard contract this offseason. In fact, only 11 of the league’s 30 clubs have done so.

The Suns, Magic, Hornets (two picks), Sixers, Lakers, Pistons, and Pacers made the top eight selections of the 2025 second round and have signed those players to standard deals, while the Pelicans (No. 40 pick Micah Peavy), Kings (No. 42 pick Maxime Raynaud), Cavaliers (No. 49 pick Tyrese Proctor), and Hawks (2024’s No. 43 pick Nikola Djurisic) have joined them. The rest of this year’s second-rounders are either still unsigned, will play overseas, or agreed to two-way contracts.

None of those 11 teams surpassed an apron threshold as a result of their second-rounders’ new cap hits. For example, the Cavs would be well over the second apron with or without Proctor on their books.

Since none of those teams will see their ability to make other roster moves affected by the new cap charges, this is really more of a housekeeping note than anything.

Eastern Notes: Peter, Krejci, Pistons, Sixers

July 28th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Taelon Peter‘s two-way contract with the Pacers will cover two seasons, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks at Sports Business Classroom. Peter, the 54th overall pick in this year’s draft, is the fourth 2025 second-rounder to a sign a two-year, two-way contract, joining Rocco Zikarsky (Timberwolves), Javon Small (Grizzlies), and Kobe Sanders (Clippers).

Peter’s two-way deal includes a $85,300 partial guarantee for now, but half of his full $636,435 salary will become guaranteed if he remains under contract through the start of the regular season, Hoops Rumors has learned.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Hawks guard Vit Krejci is the lone active NBA player named to the preliminary Czech roster for this year’s EuroBasket tournament, notes Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com (Twitter link). Veteran guard Tomas Satoransky, who appeared in 388 NBA games from 2016-22, is among the other notable names representing the Czechs.
With oddsmakers considering the Pistons the betting favorites to land Cam Thomas if he leaves Brooklyn, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press explores the possibility of the restricted free agent guard landing in Detroit but expresses skepticism it will happen. As Sankofa notes, Thomas isn’t an obvious fit on a roster that already features multiple ball-dominant guards (Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey) and likely “doesn’t check enough boxes to justify the expense.” Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (YouTube link) also recently checked in on the Pistons as a possible suitor for Thomas and found nothing doing.
In a mailbag for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Keith Pompey fields questions on Joel Embiid‘s and Paul George‘s trade value, why Guerschon Yabusele wasn’t moved in February if the Sixers were going to let him walk, and what the club’s backcourt rotation might look like. Pompey expects Quentin Grimes, assuming he re-signs, to start alongside Tyrese Maxey, with Kelly Oubre at small forward and Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe coming off the bench.

Latest On Raptors’ Search For New Head Of Basketball Ops

July 26th, 2025 at 12:02pm CST by Rory Maher

General manager Bobby Webster is running the Raptors‘ front office for now following the abrupt dismissal of Masai Ujiri at the end of June.

According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, Webster is interested in becoming Toronto’s new head of basketball operations on a permanent basis and seems to be the frontrunner to land the position, but there are a number of other candidates to monitor as well.

A source tells Grange that most of the names that have come up in the search process are “lower-tier executives” who would make sense as complementary additions working under Webster.

However, there are some veteran executives who appear to be in the mix, including Brampton native Marc Eversley, who is currently GM of the Bulls. As Grange writes, Eversley is a board member of Canada Basketball, was previously an assistant GM in Toronto, and has a solid relationship with Webster.

Pacers GM Chad Buchanan is another name on the Raptors’ radar, Grange reports.

According to Grange, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Keith Pelley has met with both Dwane Casey and Monte McNair about the position.

Casey is the Raptors’ former head coach and is currently an executive with the Pistons, while McNair was Sacramento’s GM for five years prior to parting ways with the organization after the 2024/25 season.

One league insider who spoke to Grange suggested that Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard is MLSE’s top choice for the job, though Grange points out that lateral moves for executives under contract with other teams are difficult to pull off.

As for Ujiri, Grange says he would be “very surprised” if Toronto’s longtime former president accepted another NBA job for the upcoming season. In the future, Ujiri could be a candidate to lead an expansion team or run the NBA’s proposed European league, Grange writes.

That said, Ujiri will certainly be linked to any top executive roles that pop up in the coming months, according to Grange, who has heard speculation that the Heat could be a team to monitor, as Pat Riley recently turned 80 years old.

Pacers Notes: Huff, Wiseman, Oladipo, Johnson, Haliburton

July 25th, 2025 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

After losing longtime starting center Myles Turner to the division-rival Bucks, the Pacers will take a “by committee” approach to the position in 2025/26, general manager Chad Buchanan confirmed during an appearance on the Setting The Pace podcast (YouTube link).

The team re-signed Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman earlier this month and made a trade with Memphis to acquire Jay Huff. Veteran journeyman Tony Bradley is also in the mix, though his contract is fully non-guaranteed, so if Jackson and Wiseman are fully recovered from Achilles tears, there may not be room for him on the regular season roster.

Discussing the team’s deal for Huff, Buchanan pointed out that the big man had a huge game against the Pacers’ G League team in the playoffs a couple years ago and added that Indiana’s analytics department had its eye on the 27-year-old for a while.

“Watching him in Memphis this year when he got his opportunity, he really shined,” Buchanan said (hat tip to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). “He had moments of running the floor, finishing lobs, shooting threes, protecting the rim. He’s not a perfect player by any means — he’s got areas that he needs to be better at and improve at. But we felt like what we were losing in Myles and what Jay provided at the age he was at, his basketball IQ, his feel of the game were really good fits for the way we play.”

Buchanan also spoke highly of Jackson and Wiseman, suggesting that Jackson’s skill set will give the Pacers’ lineup a different look and stating that the team remains just as bullish on Wiseman as it was when it first signed him a year ago.

“He’s in a great spot physically,” Buchanan said of the former No. 2 overall pick. “He still has to go through the hurdles of playing in a 5-on-5 game and things like that, but we’re very encouraged with where his recovery is going.”

Here’s more on the Pacers:

Buchanan confirmed on the Setting The Pace podcast that Indiana was among the teams that attended Victor Oladipo‘s workout in Las Vegas (YouTube link). However, he didn’t suggest that a reunion with the former Pacers All-Star is forthcoming . “Obviously, we have a history with Victor,” the Pacers’ GM said (hat tip to Dopirak). “We’re always going to be looking for, if it’s the right player at the right time that fits us, we’re going to have to consider it whether it’s Victor or not. Many teams watched along with us. We get tied to him because he’s a former player of ours. I don’t think we’re any different than any other team that watched him out there.”
Veteran forward James Johnson, who has been with the Pacers for parts of the last three seasons, hopes to continue his playing career, according to Buchanan, though it’s unclear whether Indiana will have room on its roster for him (YouTube link). “Tyrese (Haliburton)’s injury creates a butterfly effect with what we have to plan on and how the roster fits together,” Buchanan said (hat tip to Dopirak). “Right now, it could be challenging to find a spot for James, as much as we want him back.” The GM did acknowledge “that could change,” and it’s worth noting that Johnson didn’t start the 2023/24 season on the Pacers’ roster but was eventually added, first on a non-guaranteed contract, then on 10-day deals, then on a rest-of-season agreement.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube link) this week, Haliburton said that he has been in touch with both Jayson Tatum and Kevin Durant to discuss the recovery process from a torn Achilles. Souichi Terada of MassLive.com has the details

Pacers Sign Rookie Taelon Peter To Two-Way Contract

July 24th, 2025 at 10:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

1:47pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

10:30am: As anticipated, the Pacers and the No. 54 overall pick of the June draft, Taelon Peter, have agreed to a two-way deal, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Indiana general manager Chad Buchanan recently indicated that Peter was in line to receive a two-way contract. The Pacers cleared a spot for the shooting guard by pulling their qualifying offer to Enrique Freeman.

By adding Peter, the Pacers have filled all of their two-way slots. RayJ Dennis and Quenton Jackson have the Pacers’ remaining two-way contracts.

Peter excelled in a sixth man role at Liberty University last season. He only started two of 35 games, yet averaged 13.7 points on 57.8 percent shooting from the field and 45.3 percent from three-point range. He also grabbed 4.0 rebounds and handed out 1.0 assist in 22.7 minutes per contest. Liberty won its conference tournament and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Oregon, a game in which Peter scored eight points.

Peter spent his previous three seasons with Division II Arkansas Tech. In four Summer League appearances, he averaged 9.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 23.6 minutes per game for Indiana.

“We like a lot of things he does as far as playing without the ball, his shooting, his movement. I thought he showed very encouraging signs defending the ball in Las Vegas,” Buchanan said.

Pacers Granted Disabled Player Exception

July 24th, 2025 at 7:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have been granted a disabled player exception worth $14,104,000, general manager Chad Buchanan stated during an appearance on the Setting The Pace podcast (YouTube link).

Indiana was eligible for that exception as a result of Tyrese Haliburton‘s Achilles tear, which will sideline him for the entire 2025/26 season.

“We’ve applied for that and been granted that exception, so I don’t know if I’m breaking news there for you guys,” Buchanan said when asked by co-host Alex Golden about the possibility of the team applying for a DPE. “Whether we use it or not depends. Using the full exception would put us into the luxury tax, which we’re not opposed to if it’s the right player.”

A disabled player exception gives an over-the-cap team some extra spending power – but not an additional 15-man roster spot – when it loses a player to an injury deemed likely to sideline him through at least June 15. As we explain in our glossary entry, the exception can be used to sign a free agent, to claim a player off waivers, or to acquire a player in a trade.

The disabled player exception can only be used on a single player and can only accommodate a player on a one-year deal. A free agent signee can’t get a multiyear contract, and any trade or waiver target must be in the final year of his contract.

The exception is worth either half the injured player’s salary or the value of the mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. Since Haliburton is earning over $45MM this season, the Pacers’ DPE is worth the amount of the non-taxpayer MLE.

Buchanan, who was asked about the possibility of adding more backcourt depth with Haliburton out for the year, acknowledged that if the front office were to target a specific position, it would likely be a point guard. However, he added that the Pacers haven’t pursued that possibility “super hard” and mentioned RayJ Dennis, Kam Jones, and Quenton Jackson as young guards the team likes and will continue to develop behind Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell.

Indiana is currently operating about $6MM below the luxury tax line. If the club doesn’t use its disabled player exception on a free agent before or during the season, it also could come in handy at the trade deadline. For example, if the Pacers were to trade Obi Toppin and his $14MM salary for a player on an expiring $14MM contract, they could use the DPE to take on that player, creating a new trade exception worth Toppin’s outgoing salary.

It’s worth noting that the Pacers also still have their full $14.1MM mid-level exception available — it can be used to sign free agents and/or acquire players via trade too, and it can be split among multiple players, unlike the DPE.

The deadline to use a disabled player exception is March 10. The mid-level exception can be used until the final day of the regular season.

Enrique Freeman Becomes Unrestricted Free Agent

July 24th, 2025 at 7:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have withdrawn their two-way qualifying offer to forward Enrique Freeman, making him an unrestricted free agent, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.

Freeman, who will turn 25 on Tuesday, was the 50th overall pick in the 2024 draft and appeared in 22 NBA games as a rookie for Indiana, averaging 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per contest.

While Freeman’s impact at the NBA level was very limited, he played well in the G League, averaging 16.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game in 14 outings for the Indiana Mad Ants last season. He also had a strong Summer League showing in Las Vegas this month, registering averages of 16.6 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.8 BPG with an incredible 72.5% mark on field goal attempts, including 55.6% on three-pointers.

However, RayJ Dennis and Quenton Jackson hold two of the Pacers’ two-way slots and it appears likely that second-round pick Taelon Peter will get the third, as general manager Chad Buchanan confirmed during a recent appearance on the Setting The Pace podcast (YouTube link). That left Freeman as the odd man out.

The deadline to unilaterally withdraw a restricted free agent’s qualifying offer passed earlier this month, but teams are still permitted to rescind those QOs with the player’s consent, so it’s safe to assume Freeman signed off on this move. Becoming an unrestricted free agent will allow him to choose his next opportunity without Indiana controlling the process.