Pacers Sign Second-Rounder Georges Niang
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
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
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.
Pacers Want Teague Extension; Jefferson's Decision Was Easy
- The Pacers haven’t started extension talks with their new point guard, Jeff Teague, but that seems to be the organization’s plan, tweets Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star. Teague, who is entering the final season of his contract, came to Indiana from the Hawks in a three-team deal before the draft. “Obviously we brought him here for the long term,” said Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird.
- Al Jefferson didn’t need to review a lot of offers before deciding to come to Indiana, according to Mark Montieth of NBA.com. “I didn’t talk to nobody [else],” said Jefferson, who officially signed with the team today. “It was just Pacers. At this point in my career I’ve put myself in a position where I can go where I want to go as far as what’s best for me, and for winning. For me, no other team out there [was a better fit].” Jefferson’s new contract is for $30MM over three years, but only $4MM is guaranteed in the final season, tweets salary cap expert Larry Coon.
Details On Second Round Pick Sent To Nets
- There have been reports stating that unrestricted free agent Lance Stephenson may be close to reuniting with the Pacers, but team president Larry Bird says those rumors are unfounded, Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star relays (Twitter link). “I think Lance and his agent are doing the talking… Right now probably a very slim chance,” Bird said.
Pacers Sign Al Jefferson
JULY 9th, 10:08am: The signing is official, the Pacers announced.
JULY 1st, 12:10pm: The Pacers and Jefferson are in agreement, according to Stein, who says the three-year deal won’t feature any options (Twitter links)
11:33am: The Pacers and unrestricted free agent Al Jefferson are nearing an agreement on a contract, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (Twitter link). The proposed deal would be for three years and $30MM, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.
If Indiana does add Jefferson it will be the latest high-profile move the team has made this offseason, previously acquiring point guard Jeff Teague from the Hawks and combo forward Thaddeus Young from the Nets. It would appear that team executive Larry Bird is determined to remake his roster for new head coach Nate McMillan. Jefferson will add some needed toughness in the paint as well as solid veteran leadership to Indiana’s locker room.
Jefferson, 31, made just 47 appearances this season as he struggled with injuries. He averaged 12.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 23.3 minutes of action per outing. He shot .485/.000/.649 from the field on the year.
Free Agent Notes: Timberwolves, Wizards, Randolph
- The Wizards have interest in re-signing shooting guard Alan Anderson and will meet with him this weekend, league sources told J. Michael of CSNmidlatlantic.com (Twitter links). The meeting is expected to take place in Las Vegas, Michael adds. Anderson, who made $4MM last season, appeared in just 13 games with the Wizards after undergoing a second surgery on his left ankle. The previous season, he played in 74 games with the Nets and averaged 7.4 points in 23.6 minutes.
- Shooting guard Brandon Paul is drawing major interest around the league after some strong performances for the Hornets’ summer-league team, Sportando tweets. He’s averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds through four games in the Orlando Summer League. The 6’4” Paul went undrafted in 2013 out of the University of Illinois and has been playing for a Spanish league team, FIATC Joventut.
- Forward Anthony Randolph will remain in Europe and sign a one-year deal with Spain’s Real Madrid, a source told Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Randolph received interest from the Mavericks this summer, Spears adds. The contract will be the $1.5MM-$2MM range, international journalist David Pick tweets. The 6’11” Randolph hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2013/14 season, when he appeared in 43 games with the Nuggets.
- Power forward Willie Reed has drawn interest from the Warriors, Spurs, Heat, Thunder, Timberwolves and Pacers, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. Reed, an unrestricted free agent, averaged 4.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10.9 minutes over 39 games with the Nets last season.
- Free agent center Robert Sacre, who played the last four seasons with the Lakers, has drawn interest from the Timberwolves and Rockets, Wolfson reports in a separate tweet.
Mavericks, Pacers Finalize Jeremy Evans Trade
THURSDAY, 1:05pm: The Pacers have officially confirmed the trade, announcing in a press release that they’ll receive Evans, cash considerations, and the rights to Emir Preldzic from the Mavericks in exchange for the rights to Stanko Barac.
WEDNESDAY, 11:57am: The Mavericks and Pacers are finalizing an agreement on a trade that will send Jeremy Evans and cash to Indiana, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter links). ESPN’s Marc Stein first reported on Tuesday that Dallas was “increasingly likely” to move Evans and his $1,227,286 salary to free up a little extra cap room.
Evans, 28, appeared in 30 contests for Dallas this past season, including two starts. The veteran forward only played 8.4 minutes per contest, averaging 2.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.3 blocks to accompany a shooting line of .542/.250/.714. He had season-ending surgery on a torn labrum in March.
The Pacers almost certainly aren’t counting on Evans to have a major role in their rotation, but he could help provide some depth at small forward, with Solomon Hill headed to New Orleans in free agency. With Hill, Ian Mahinmi, and potentially Jordan Hill all potentially ticketed for new homes, Indiana has done a nice job replenishing its frontcourt this offseason, adding Al Jefferson and Thaddeus Young, along with Evans.
[RELATED: Indiana Pacers’ depth chart at RosterResource.com]
As for the Mavericks, the contracts and trades they’ve agreed to this July had them just slightly over their available cap room, based on the reported salary figures. So it makes sense that the team would look to move Evans to create a little extra flexibility to fit all those deals. Dallas also may trade or waive JaVale McGee before his 2016/17 salary becomes guaranteed next week.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pacers Acquire Jeff Teague; George Hill To Jazz
JULY 7: The Pacers, Jazz, and Hawks have all issued announcements formally confirming that the three-way swap is official. Teague goes to Indiana, Hill heads to Utah, and Atlanta gets the rights to Taurean Prince, the 12th overall pick in last month’s draft.
JUNE 22: The Pacers, Jazz, and Hawks have agreed to a three-way trade, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, who reports that Indiana will acquire Atlanta point guard Jeff Teague and send George Hill to Utah in the deal. The Hawks, meanwhile, will get the No. 12 overall pick in tomorrow’s draft from Utah, says Wojnarowski.
Teague, 28, has been the subject of trade rumors this year despite having an All-Star appearance on his résumé. With just one year left on his contract, Teague has become somewhat expendable in Atlanta due to the continued development of fellow point guard Dennis Schröder, who has made no secret about his desire to be the starter going forward
Teague, who said earlier this month that he played the 2015/16 season with a torn patellar tendon in his knee, still appeared in 79 games, averaging 15.7 points and 5.9 assists, and shooting 43.9% from the field and 40% from three-point range. According to Wojnarowski, the Pacers intend to try to extend Teague’s contract beyond the 2016/17 season. The veteran point guard will be eligible to restructure his deal beginning on July 13th.
In Hill, meanwhile, the Jazz are acquiring a solid defender who can also contribute on the offensive end, particularly from beyond the arc. In 74 regular-season games, Hill averaged 12.1 points, 3.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game, to go along with a 40.8% mark from three-point range. The 30-year-old was also solid in Indiana’s first-round playoff loss to Toronto, increasing his three-point percentage to 48.1% for those seven games. He’ll team with Dante Exum at the point in Utah, and his arrival may push Trey Burke to the trade block.
Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggests (via Twitter) that the trade won’t become official until July, which makes sense if no other pieces are involved. That would allow the Jazz to use their cap space in July to absorb Hill’s $8MM salary without moving any other players. From the Pacers’ perspective, Teague’s salary – which will increase to $8.8MM due to his 10% trade kicker – is only a marginal increase on Hill’s.
As for the Hawks, they’d clear Teague’s salary while taking on a cap hold of just under $2MM for the No. 12 overall pick. The move would reduce the guaranteed salaries on Atlanta’s books for 2016/17 to about $44MM, not including the cap holds for their two first-rounders or pending free agents, giving the team plenty of room to re-sign Al Horford and potentially pursue another free agent or two as well.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pacers Acquire Thaddeus Young From Nets
JULY 7: The swap sending Young to the Pacers in exchange for the rights to No. 20 overall pick Caris LeVert and a future second-round pick is now official, according to a Nets press release.
JUNE 23: The Pacers have agreed to acquire Thaddeus Young from the Nets in exchange for the No. 20 overall pick in tonight’s NBA draft and a future protected second-rounder, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). The scribe had reported earlier that several Western Conference teams had been aggressively pursuing Young, who Brooklyn was looking to deal to the highest bidder in an effort to land a first round pick, which it nabbed from Indiana in the swap.
This is the second big move by Indiana in the past two days, with the team landing point guard Jeff Teague from Atlanta in a three-team trade on Wednesday. It certainly appears that team executive Larry Bird is serious about retooling his squad for new coach Nate McMillan.
For Brooklyn, flipping Young for a first-rounder clearly signals that the franchise is shifting into full-rebuild mode. Given the Nets’ lack of talent, it is a bit puzzling why they would give up on Young, who is under contract for three more seasons at a fairly reasonable rate. Young, 28, is slated to earn $12,078,652 next season, $12,921,348 in 2017/18 and $13,764,045 the final year.
In 73 appearances for Brooklyn this past season, Young averaged 15.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 33.0 minutes per outing. His shooting line was .514/.233/.644.