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Bird Rebuilds Roster; Lawson Hoping To Bounce Back

July 20th, 2016 at 6:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ty Lawson feels “overlooked” in free agency and tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated the team that signs him is going to get a significant bargain. Lawson says he never really felt comfortable with the Rockets or Pacers last season after being traded away from Denver during the summer. Lawson quickly lost his starting spot in Houston and averaged 5.8 points and 3.4 assists over 53 games. The Pacers picked him up after the Rockets waived him, and he saw just 18.1 minutes per night in 13 games with Indiana. Lawson, whose reputation has suffered after four DUI arrests and a stint in rehab, says he managed to stay clean last season and is ready to prove that he is still an elite player. “It would be big to be back to my old self again,” he said. “Also, it’s not for just me, it’s for my parents. They have had a hard time seeing what I’ve been going through. I know they hear the little comments at NBA games. To make them proud again would mean the world to me.”

Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird has done almost a complete roster rebuild in three seasons, writes Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star. Paul George is the only player left from the team that reached the Eastern Conference finals in back-to-back seasons. Bird’s latest move came when he signed ex-Bull Aaron Brooks to serve as a backup to recently acquired point guard Jeff Teague. In addition to the roster turnover, Bird made a coaching chance this summer, firing Frank Vogel and replacing him with Nate McMillan.

Aaron Brooks Should Be Upgrade Off The Bench

July 19th, 2016 at 9:16am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Pacers hope newly signed point guard Aaron Brooks will be a more effective passer than Ty Lawson was off the bench, Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star writes. The arrival of Brooks gives the team 16 players under contract and Taylor believes Shayne Whittington, whose contract won’t become fully guaranteed until August 1, is the player most likely to be waived.

Community Shootaround: Eastern Playoff Team Most Likely To Slide?

July 18th, 2016 at 5:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Last week, one of our Community Shootaround discussions focused on this year’s non-playoff teams in the East, asking which of those clubs had done the most to improve its roster so far this summer. The Knicks and Sixers received the most support, but several lottery teams got positive reviews from Hoops Rumors commenters for their offseason work.

Today, it’s time to look at the other eight teams in the East. The Cavaliers, Raptors, Heat, Hawks, Celtics, Hornets, Pacers, and Pistons all earned spots in the postseason. How many of those teams will be back in 2017, and how many will drop out?

The Heat had the most notable departure of any of those eight playoff teams, when Dwyane Wade left Miami to sign with his hometown Bulls. But Miami wasn’t the only club to lose a notable player. The Hawks saw Al Horford depart, and the Raptors parted ways with breakout rim-protector Bismack Biyombo.

The Hornets and Pistons, meanwhile, managed to re-sign their own key free agents, including Nicolas Batum and Andre Drummond, and added some complementary pieces. But Charlotte, at least, will have to deal with some notable departures as well, including Al Jefferson, Jeremy Lin, and Courtney Lee.

Finally, the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Pacers have all received solid reviews for their summer decisions — in Cleveland’s case, it’s simply enough to bring back most of the team that beat the 73-win Warriors for the championship. For Boston and Indiana, the changes are more notable — the C’s added Horford and No. 3 pick Jaylen Brown, while the Pacers brought in Jefferson, Thaddeus Young, and Jeff Teague, among others.

What do you think? Which of the Eastern playoff teams is most likely to slide down the standings in 2016/17? How many of these eight clubs do you expect to finish in the lottery next year? Is Miami the most obvious candidate to take a step or two backwards, or is there another team more in danger of underachieving?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the Cavs, Raptors, Heat, Hawks, Celtics, Hornets, Pacers, and Pistons. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Al Jefferson Contract Details

July 18th, 2016 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

The third year of Al Jefferson‘s three-year contract with the Pacers is only partially guaranteed. The team currently owes him $4MM for the 2018/19 season, but if he stays on the roster, he’d earn his full $10MM salary.

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Teague on Magic's Radar Next Summer?

July 17th, 2016 at 10:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Life in the NBA hasn’t been what Jahlil Okafor expected, but he tells Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Inquirer that he wants to change that, and he hopes to do it with the Sixers. Okafor’s rookie season was plagued by off-court incidents and injuries that limited him to 53 games. He has spent the offseason listening to trade rumors, along with talk that his style of play doesn’t fit the modern NBA game. “[The trade talk] is definitely all stupid with a lot of speculation,” Okafor said. “I see where people will write what I’m feeling and I haven’t even spoken to them. A lot of stuff is made up and it’s annoying. But for the most part, it’s fine. For me, at a certain point, I got upset when another story came out that said we were upset with the team and that just wasn’t the case. But I’m just looking forward to the season now.” Okafor is still rehabbing from surgery in February to repair a torn meniscus, but he hopes to be cleared for five-on-five play soon.

There’s more news out of the Eastern Conference:

After getting his first taste of the NBA during summer league, Ben Simmons plans to work on “everything” before training camp, relays Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The No. 1 pick played six summer league games, averaging 10.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists. But there were concerns about his turnover rate — 3.8 per game — and a habit of standing around when he didn’t have the ball. “It’s just everyday education,” said Sixers summer league coach Lloyd Pierce. “It’s just learning the NBA, basic timing, position, execution. I can throw out every basketball term in the book. He’s just got to learn the game.”
The Magic should take another shot at Hawks power forward Paul Millsap next summer, writes Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando talked to Millsap in 2015 before he decided to re-sign with Atlanta, and with a player option for 2017/18, he might be a free agent again in 12 months. Millsap tops a list of potential 2017 free agent targets Schmitz listed for the Magic. Others mentioned are Gordon Hayward, J.J. Redick, Jeff Teague and Kyle Lowry.
Whispers about James Young‘s commitment to the game continue to haunt him as he battles for a roster spot with the Celtics, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. Young came into the league with people doubting his work ethic, and now there are concerns that he hasn’t developed as much as he should. “I’ve seen that for 35 years in the NBA,” said president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, who wasn’t specifically talking about Young. “They don’t understand the urgency. They feel like they’ve made it, and they don’t understand that staying in the NBA should be their objective and not just making it here.”

Pacers To Be Title Contenders Again?

July 17th, 2016 at 6:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers seem ready to re-emerge as an elite team in the Eastern Conference, claims Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. Indiana made several key additions this summer, swapping George Hill for Jeff Teague in a three-team deal, trading the 20th pick in the draft to Brooklyn for Thaddeus Young and signing free agent center Al Jefferson. The Pacers also have the security of a healthy Paul George, who showed during the season that he was fully recovered from a broken leg in 2014. In addition, Hamilton notes, Indiana has the flexibility for another major move or two this summer. The franchise is about $12MM under the cap and may have a $2.8MM room exception available. Looking ahead, the Pacers could have up to $50MM in cap room next summer if Rodney Stuckey and C.J. Miles opt out.

Latest Contract Details

July 12th, 2016 at 10:36pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pacers‘ deal with 2016 second-rounder Georges Niang is for three years and is worth $2.6MM, with his rookie season being fully guaranteed, with the second season partially guaranteed for $100K, Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports relays.

Pacers Sign Second-Rounder Georges Niang

July 11th, 2016 at 4:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have formally added another player to their roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed second-round pick Georges Niang to his first NBA contract. Although the club didn’t disclose terms of the deal, Scott Agness of VigilantSports.com writes that it’s a three-year pact, with a full guarantee in year one and a partial guarantee in year two.

[RELATED: 2016 Draft Pick Signings]

Niang, the 50th overall pick in last month’s draft, averaged 20.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game during his final year at Iowa State. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com described Niang, his 69th-ranked prospect overall, as one of the more “polished’ players in this year’s draft class, and Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard suggested on draft night that the former Cyclone could earn a spot in Indiana’s rotation this season.

Because the Pacers traded their first-round pick to the Nets for Thaddeus Young, Niang was the only player drafted by the team this year. As the Pacers’ roster breakdown at RosterResource.com shows, Young will also be one of the players who figures to start the year ahead of Niang on the depth chart.

Indiana has plenty of forward depth, so it will be interesting to see how the team’s rotation shakes out in the regular season. Niang, 23, is probably capable of playing both forward spots, depending on the lineup, but he’ll have to battle a handful of frontcourt players for minutes.

In addition to big men Myles Turner and Al Jefferson, the Pacers also currently employ forwards like C.J. Miles, Lavoy Allen, Jeremy Evans, Glenn Robinson III, Shayne Whittington, and – of course – Paul George.

Teague Weighs In On Trade

July 11th, 2016 at 1:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In an interview with Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, point guard Jeff Teague said that he is extremely excited to join the Pacers and he bears no ill-will toward the Hawks for trading him. “Me and the Hawks talked a bit and we agreed to be open with each other and try to help each other facilitate a nice deal. So I knew it was coming [eventually], but I didn’t know when. When I got the news, Coach Bud [Mike Budenholzer] let me know that he would be trading me home. It was bittersweet, but I’m excited about a new start and a new opportunity.”

Pacers May Sign Aaron Brooks

July 10th, 2016 at 8:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

Aaron Brooks is in “advanced discussions” on a one-year contract with the Pacers, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. Brooks, 31, has spent the last two seasons with the Bulls.

Brooks appeared in 69 games this season, all as a reserve. He averaged 7.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per night while shooting 36% from 3-point range.

If the Pacers sign Brooks, he will likely be used as a backup to Jeff Teague, who was acquired from the Hawks in a three-team trade last month.