Indiana Pacers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Latest On David West, Knicks

June 30th, 2015 at 8:09am CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 8:09am: West doesn’t want to play for the Knicks, preferring a team in better position to contend for the title, an NBA source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post.

THURSDAY, 6:57pm: David West is likely to sign with the Knicks when he becomes eligible to do so after the July Moratorium, a source tells Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). The power forward had his mind set on New York before reportedly deciding this week to opt out, Zwerling hears.

West turned down $12.6MM from the Pacers to hit free agency, though it’s unclear if he’d be willing to take less to secure a long-term deal with New York. The Knicks are expected to have plenty of cap room this summer, though the team would presumably attempt to go after more marquee free agents before circling back to the veteran who turns 35 in August.

Indiana would have the capacity to target Monta Ellis if West is indeed out of the picture for the Pacers.

Roy Hibbert Opts In With Pacers

June 29th, 2015 at 3:06pm CST by Chuck Myron

MONDAY, 3:06pm: The Pacers have received the opt-in paperwork from Hibbert, according to Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star (on Twitter), though the team has yet to make an official announcement.

THURSDAY, 10:06pm: Roy Hibbert is opting in for next season with the Pacers, a source tells Grantland’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link). He has filed the paperwork, adds Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter), though the Pacers have yet to make an official announcement. The Pacers have been aggressively shopping the center with the thought that he would indeed pick up the more than $15.514MM coming his way on the option, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier.

The Pacers are likely to continue to try and deal the 28-year-old, though there isn’t likely to be a strong market for an offensively limited center with mediocre rebounding numbers who carries such a large cap hit. One NBA assistant coach told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that Hibbert might be a worthy gamble for another team if the big man could be motivated to stay in shape. “The last two years, he has dropped off in the second half of the season,” the assistant said. “With big guys like that, the first thing you think of is conditioning. If you can make sure he is in shape for all 82 games, maybe give him time off here and there, he would be worth the risk.”

Hibbert appeared in 76 contests last season, averaging 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 25.3 minutes per games. His lifetime numbers through 533 contests are 11.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.9 BPG, with a slash line of .464/.273/.748.

Rockets, Kings Eye Rodney Stuckey

June 29th, 2015 at 10:25am CST by Chuck Myron

MONDAY, 10:25am: Stuckey would like to hear from the Bulls, a source tells Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com. It’s unclear whether the Bulls reciprocate his apparent interest, and that would seem less likely in the wake of Kirk Hinrich‘s reported decision to opt in. Chicago will likely have only the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception to spend on outside free agents.

FRIDAY, 3:29pm: The Rockets and Kings are expected to be among the teams with interest when Rodney Stuckey when he hits free agency next week, and he’ll prioritize signing with a contender, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. That would presumably give an edge to Houston over Sacramento, though the mutual interest between the combo guard and the Pacers is strong, according to Charania. The semantics of the report are a bit curious, since Charania indicates that interest from the Rockets and Kings is only “expected,” but it would appear that the 29-year-old is at the very least on the radar for both teams.

Indiana has Non-Bird rights on Stuckey, so the Pacers can’t exceed 20% more than the minimum to re-sign him without using cap space or an exception. Still, president of basketball operations Larry Bird made it clear this spring that the eight-year veteran is a priority, and David West‘s apparent decision to opt out gives the team a legitimate chance to open cap room.

Rockets GM Daryl Morey isn’t optimistic that Houston will end up with cap space to burn this summer, though the team would have the $5.434MM mid-level exception if it stays above the cap. That amount may well be earmarked for Josh Smith, however.

The Kings are in flux amid the DeMarcus Cousins saga, though they seem likely to be able to open up enough cap space to make a competitive bid to Stuckey. Still, Sacramento would probably be a fallback option for him if he is indeed set on joining a contending team. Indiana might not be a contender, either, though the return of Paul George for a full season at least gives the Pacers a reasonable shot in the relatively weak Eastern Conference.

Pacers Aggressively Shopping Roy Hibbert

June 25th, 2015 at 7:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pacers are making a hard push as they shop Roy Hibbert, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Indiana chose to select Texas center Myles Turner at No. 11, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported (on Twitter). Hibbert is ineligible to be traded unless he opts in, though he has more than $15.514MM coming to him if he does so.

That Indiana would be looking to trade its center isn’t surprising. Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird signaled this spring that the team is moving to a more up-tempo style and coach Frank Vogel wouldn’t dismiss the idea that he’ll bench Hibbert.

David West, who’s reportedly decided to opt out, is likely to sign with the Knicks, a source told Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling this evening, so it would appear a radical makeover of the frontcourt in Indiana is coming.

Celtics Willing To Deal Marcus Smart For High Pick

June 25th, 2015 at 4:20pm CST by Zachary Links

4:20pm: The Pacers are a potential landing spot for Smart, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (on Twitter). Indiana owns the No. 11 pick.

2:06pm: There’s more and more buzz around the idea that the Celtics are willing to surrender guard Marcus Smart if it gets them into the upper reaches of the lottery, Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. On Wednesday, it was reported that the Celtics proposed a deal to the Sixers involving Smart to get the No. 3 pick, but were rebuffed.

Earlier today, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe heard that the C’s would have to be blown away in order to part with Smart. If the latest word is accurate, Boston sees a high draft pick as enough of a prize to part ways with the promising young guard. Smart, 21, averaged 7.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 3.1 APG in 27 minutes per contest in his rookie season.

The offer reportedly made to Philly would have seen Smart and the 16th and 28th picks in this year’s draft heading to the Sixers for Nerlens Noel and the No. 3 pick. Smart was a Second-Team All-Rookie pick in 2014/15.

Draft Rumors: Hornets, Lakers, Russell

June 25th, 2015 at 9:47am CST by Zachary Links

The Hornets have been extremely active this week and sources have indicated to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News that they’re probably not done. The Celtics and Suns, according to a source, have been the most ardent suitors of Charlotte’s No. 9 pick. The Suns have the No. 13 pick but want to move up to draft Frank Kaminsky, who they fear could be a target of the Heat at No. 10 or the Pacers at No. 11. The Celtics, meanwhile, have interest in Willie Cauley-Stein. If the Hornets stay at No. 9, Deveney believes they will want to add shooting, which could lead them to Kentucky guard Devin Booker.

Jahlil Okafor did not perform well in his second pre-draft workout with the Lakers, according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. While Okafor had a drop-off from his first showing in Los Angeles, D’Angelo Russell flourished and knocked down his shots. Ding expects the Lakers to target Russell at No. 2 in Thursday night’s draft.
Oregon guard Joseph Young does not have a first round promise from the Lakers or anyone else, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News tweets. Young’s foot injury remains a concern and he’ll be reevaluated to see if he needs surgery.
The Lakers, Sixers, Knicks, Magic, Kings, Hornets, Pacers are all talking trades and could shake up the draft order, Chad Ford of ESPN.com tweets.
Richaun Holmes is drawing consideration from several teams picking in the 20s, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated (on Twitter). Holmes spoke with Hoops Rumors recently as a part of our Draft Prospect Q&A series.

Central Notes: Jackson, Pacers, Bulls

June 24th, 2015 at 10:49pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pistons have tendered a qualifying offer worth $4,433,683 to Reggie Jackson, making him a restricted free agent this summer, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). Detroit will now have the opportunity to match any offer sheet that Jackson signs, though it is not a given that it will do so. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com had previously relayed that if Emmanuel Mudiay were to be available at the No. 8 overall pick, the Pistons would consider allowing Jackson to depart this offseason. Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) concurs that Detroit would snag Mudiay if he were available, though the franchise doesn’t believe he is ready to run an NBA team just yet.

Here’s more from the NBA’s Central Division:

The Pacers will focus on accumulating talent in the draft, and not on any particular position, Indiana GM Kevin Pritchard said, notes Mark Montieth of NBA.com. “More than ever, it’s not like you’re going after a quarterback or point guard,” Pritchard said. “You’re seeing the teams that really succeed put five guys who can really make plays out there. You try to get the best player you can, because in a small market, it’s your only chance to get special. We’re not New York or L.A., so to get special you have to do it in the draft.“
Pritchard also said that the Pacers are focused on “four or five” players with the No. 11 overall pick, but are prepared to call audibles if a player “drops” during the draft, Montieth adds. The team isn’t opposed to dealing the pick either, the NBA.com scribe adds. “We’re not afraid to trade the pick; we talk about that all the time,” Pritchard said. “We’ve heard a lot about 11. There’s interest in 11. Moving down is tough because then the draft selects for you instead of you selecting the draft.“
The Bulls, who are badly in need of backcourt depth, will have numerous options in the draft to add a rotation piece, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes. Playmakers who could potentially be available at the No. 22 overall pick include Delon Wright, Jerian Grant, and Tyus Jones, Johnson adds.

Sixers, Blazers, Pacers, Hawks Talk Pick Swaps

June 23rd, 2015 at 2:49pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers and Trail Blazers have spoken about a trade that would send the No. 23 pick to Philadelphia in exchange for the 35th and 37th picks and perhaps more, sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter links). The Pacers and Hawks have had exploratory talks about a swap of the 11th and 15th picks, presumably with other assets involved, Kennedy also hears, citing league sources. Philadelphia is willing to trade up from the No. 3 spot to acquire D’Angelo Russell, league sources tell Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who writes within his Draft Buzz column.

Jahlil Okafor earlier this month became the focus of the Lakers at the No. 2 pick, as Chris Mannix of SI.com reported, so a willingness from Philly to trade up for Russell would indicate some doubt from the Sixers that the Lakers indeed prefer the Duke center. Karl-Anthony Towns appears to be headed to the Timberwolves with the No. 1 pick, though he’s denied a report that Minnesota has already told him he’ll be their choice.

Philadelphia leads the NBA with six picks in this year’s draft, five of which are in the second round. The Blazers appear focused on free agency, with LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez and Arron Afflalo among the soon-to-be free agents on the roster, so moving off the nearly $1.004MM cap hold for a first-round pick would presumably have some value to them.

Willie Cauley-Stein has said that Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird called him a $100MM player, so it would appear Indiana has strong interest in him. Concerns about Cauley-Stein’s health threaten to push him out of the top 10, as Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress wrote in his mock draft this week, though it would seem a stretch if he were still available at No. 15. The Hawks are worried that they won’t be able to bring back the duo of Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll in free agency, but trading up for a higher pick wouldn’t help them create more cap space unless they gave up salary in such a deal.

Draft Notes: Porzingis, Kings, Pacers

June 22nd, 2015 at 10:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks held a private workout for Kristaps Porzingis on Monday morning, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The Knicks were impressed by his workout in Las Vegas two weeks ago and wanted to take a second look at the Latvian power forward, Isola continues. D’Angelo Russell is still the Knicks’ likely choice at No. 4 if he’s available and they do not trade the pick, Isola adds. Marc Berman of the New York Post, who also reported the workout, notes that team president Phil Jackson said he is trying to draft a starter with the fourth pick, which would make Porzingis an odd fit. “He’s absolutely not a starter on a good team next season and maybe not [on] a bad team,’’ one NBA scout told Berman. “He’s not physically ready. I’d be shocked if they took him.’’

In other draft news around the league:

Officials from many teams sense that the interest the Sixers have in Porzingis is overstated and a ruse to convince competitors to trade up for the pick, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress writes in his latest mock draft.
Many believe that the Grizzlies, at pick No. 25, are the team that’s made the reported promise to Jarell Martin, Givony writes in the same piece.
Willie Cauley-Stein would not make sense with the Kings’ lottery pick because he wouldn’t be a good fit alongside DeMarcus Cousins, Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee tweets. Multiple scouts told Voisin that Cauley-Stein would clog the lane and limit the spacing for Cousins in the low post. In contrast, the Kings are intrigued by the pairing of Frank Kaminsky and Cousins, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Kaminsky had a strong workout with the Kings on Monday, Mannix adds.
The Celtics are trying to move up in the draft and have had discussions with at least one team in the Top 10, Mannix writes a separate tweet. Mannix quotes a rival executive that Boston is being “aggressive, one of the few teams thinking big.”
The Pacers could trade out of the lottery and into the late teens or early 20s of the first round if the player they target at No. 11 is taken ahead of them, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets.

Draft Notes: Lakers, Johnson, Berzins, Payne

June 21st, 2015 at 9:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers would prefer Karl-Anthony Towns to Jahlil Okafor, but Towns appears to be the player that the Timberwolves are targeting with the top pick, as Chris Mannix of SI.com hears (Twitter link). L.A. has swung and missed on attempts to have Towns in for a workout, while Mark Heisler of Forbes.com heard recently that Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders has become enamored with the Kentucky big man. The Lakers have zeroed in on Okafor if Towns is off the board, as Mannix reported earlier. Here’s more on the rapidly approaching draft:

Stanley Johnson is refusing to work out with the Hornets, who pick ninth, in hopes that either the Pistons, at No. 8, or the Heat, with the 10th pick, will draft him, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
Latvian small forward Janis Berzins is working out for the Spurs and Celtics in addition to his audition with the Jazz this past Friday, as VEF Riga, his Latvian team, revealed via Twitter (translation via HoopsHype).
Cameron Payne has worked out for the Lakers, Kings, Nuggets, Pacers and Thunder, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. In addition, Payne held a meeting with the Celtics.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson said earlier this week that he has workouts left with the Jazz, Kings and Hawks, tweets Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post.
Justin Anderson recently completed his eighth workout, Castillo tweets. He has the Cavaliers and Thunder remaining.
Larry Nance Jr. tells the Associated Press he has worked out for “about a dozen” teams, including the Spurs, Sixers, Celtics, Suns, Heat, Pacers and Knicks. The last workout on his schedule will be Wednesday with the Cavaliers.
Pat Connaughton has managed to fit more than a dozen teams into his workout schedule, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The Notre Dame product has received positive reviews at most of the workouts and has a chance to be a second round pick, Himmelsbach writes.
Kevon Looney has worked out for “nine or 10 teams,” tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. One of those sessions was with the Celtics on June 17th, writes Josh Slavin of WEEI.com.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.