Indiana Pacers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Russell, Sloan, Draft

June 20th, 2015 at 11:26am CST by Eddie Scarito

Ohio State playmaker D’Angelo Russell‘s workout with the Sixers went extremely well, and the franchise, though impressed with what Emmanuel Mudiay showed them during his showcase, would love to draft Russell if he falls to them at the No. 3 overall pick, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. There was speculation that Russell didn’t want to be taken by Philadelphia when he cancelled his first scheduled workout due to illness, but a source close to the young guard dispelled such talk, Pompey adds. “He really loves Philly,” the source told Pompey.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

The Pacers‘ Donald Sloan, who is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, has switched agents and is now represented by Byron Irvin and Dan Fegan of Relativity Sports, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star reports (Twitter link). The point guard was previously represented by Impact Sports Basketball.
Kentucky big man Dakari Johnson said that he has a workout scheduled with the Cavaliers prior to the draft, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com tweets.
Shooting guard Bobby Ray Parks Jr.‘s workout with the Nets on Wednesday ended prematurely due to an inadvertent elbow to his face that required stitches, Robert Windrem of NetsDaily writes. “It’s a shame, you know, for him to be here having the opportunity and start well in his workout but there’s nothing else we could do,” said Nets director of player personnel Gregg Polinsky. If schedules permit, the team intends to bring in Parks for a second workout, Windrem adds.
St. John’s guard Phil Greene has a workout scheduled for today with the Celtics, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays (on Twitter).

Pacers, Bulls, Mavs, Magic Eye Aaron Jackson

June 19th, 2015 at 7:56am CST by Chuck Myron

JUNE 19TH, 7:56am: The deal between Jackson and CSKA Moscow is official, the team announced (Twitter link). It’s a two-year arrangement, and while it’s unclear whether an NBA out exists, it wouldn’t appear as though he’s returning stateside anytime soon.

JUNE 16TH, 12:44pm: Jackson is set to re-sign with CSKA Moscow, as David Pick of Eurobasket.com hears (Twitter link). That would seemingly put the NBA on hold for now.

2:47pm: The Bulls, Mavericks and Magic have also registered some level of interest in Jackson, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders hears (Twitter link).

JUNE 12TH, 1:04pm: The Pacers are interested in point guard Aaron Jackson, who plays for Russia’s CSKA Moscow, report Chema De Lucas of Gigantes del Basket (translation via HoopsHype). At least three NBA teams are eyeing Jackson, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, adding that the 29-year-old who played collegiately at Duquesne will explore his possibilities to return to North America as a free agent this summer.

Jackson posted 7.4 points, 3.7 assists and 1.1 turnovers in 22.1 minutes per game for his Russian team this season, his third year with CSKA Moscow. He’s played overseas each season since going undrafted in 2009, making stops in Spain and Italy before heading to Russia, though he was with the Pacers for summer league in 2009. The Cavs had him for summer league the next year.

Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird expressed pessimism that his team would retain backup point guard C.J. Watson in free agency this summer, so it makes sense that Indiana would be in the market for a replacement. Still, the Pacers would likely be bereft of cap room if Roy Hibbert and David West opt in, as I noted when I examined the offseason ahead for the team, so Indiana will probably focus on point guards who might come cheaply.

Draft Notes: Booker, Hornets, Knicks, Qualls

June 15th, 2015 at 9:36pm CST by Charlie Adams

The trade sending Lance Stephenson to the Clippers will likely have an impact on how the draft unfolds, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com tweets that the move raises the probability that the Hornets take Devin Booker or Kelly Oubre with the 10th pick. Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune concurs (on Twitter), suggesting that Booker “definitely” won’t be around by the time the Jazz are on the clock with the 12th selection. Ford adds (via Twitter) that the Hornets have an affinity for R.J. Hunter too but that the team won’t take him as high as 10th. Instead, Ford thinks they could potentially move down in the draft if the right deal presents itself. Let’s have a look at more on the quickly approaching draft:

The Knicks are giving serious consideration to trading down and drafting Cameron Payne, league sources tell Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, who adds that the decision not to bring in the former Murray State point guard for a workout means there could potentially be varying opinions on his value in the team’s front office.
Kristaps Porzingis’ draft stock is rising faster than any other lottery pick’s, league executives tell Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
Second round hopeful Michael Qualls has been diagnosed with a torn ACL, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress passes along on Twitter. The Arkansas wing had been listed as the 40th best prospect by Givony and the 48th best one by Ford, but this injury almost certainly means Qualls won’t be selected.
The Pacers possess the 11th pick, but Frank Vogel insists that the depth of this draft has him feeling like he can get a talent that would usually be taken with the third, fourth, or fifth selections, as Dana Hunsinger of the Indy Star details.
If the Hornets are to move down in the draft, Ford tweets that the most logical trade partner for the team is the Celtics, who have the 16th pick. It’s unclear whether his statement is an indicator of interest on either team’s part or if it’s merely speculative, however.

Central Notes: Pacers, Turner, Lyles, Dekker

June 14th, 2015 at 2:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers will give serious consideration to Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky if he is still available at No. 11, writes Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. President of basketball operations Larry Bird likes the way Kaminsky progressed in college, from barely playing as a freshman to averaging 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds as a senior and leading the Badgers to the national title game. “I’m pretty proud of him for the work he has put in,” Bird said. “It looks like the type of kid who is going to keep working and get better.’’

There’s more draft-related news from the Central Division:

Myles Turner of Texas made an effort to appear vocal and teachable during his workout with the Pacers today, tweets Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star. She also notes that Turner has had a busy weekend, working out at a Friday showcase in Las Vegas, followed by a Saturday session in Salt Lake City and then today’s audition for the Pacers. He will be leaving for Denver tonight (Twitter link). Buckner also observed at today’s workouts that Kaminsky had trouble finishing at the rim (Twitter link). The Pacers also worked out Arizona’s T.J. McConnell, Villanova’s Darrun Hilliard, Penn State’s D.J. Newbill and California-Davis’ Corey Hawkins today, tweets Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops.
Kentucky’s Trey Lyles told Mark Montieth of NBA.com that he isn’t frightened by the possibility of playing in his hometown of Indianapolis. “Being somewhere where you watched a lot of games when you were a kid and actually being able to go out there and work out for the team, it’s a special situation for myself,” said Lyles, who worked out for the Pacers Thursday.
Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker knows the Pistons need a small forward and he would like to fill that role, according to Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. “I see they got [Ersan] Ilyasova, a former Buck, so I saw him play a lot,” said Dekker, who worked out for Detroit Saturday. “It’s exciting to see that maybe they are looking at a guy at [small forward] and that’s somewhere I’m comfortable and maybe I showed them stuff today and showed them stuff in the past that they would be confident with a pick like that.” The Pistons hold the No. 8 pick in the draft.

2015/16 Roster Counts: Indiana Pacers

June 13th, 2015 at 5:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

During the offseason it’s OK for teams to carry as many as 20 players, but clubs must trim their rosters down to a maximum of 15 by opening night. In the meantime, some teams will hang around that 15-man line, while others will max out their roster counts. Some clubs may actually have more than 15 contracts that are at least partially guaranteed on the books. That means they’ll end up paying players who won’t be on the regular season roster, unless they can find trade partners.

With plenty more movement still to come, here’s the latest look at the Pacers’ roster size, the contract guarantee status of each player, and how each player came to be on Indiana’s roster.

(Last Updated 3-7-16, 5:00pm)

Fully Guaranteed (15)

Lavoy Allen (F) — 6’9″/26 years old. Acquired via trade from Sixers.
Rakeem Christmas (F) — 6’9″/23 years old. Acquired via trade from Cavaliers.
Monta Ellis (G) — 6’3″/29 years old. Free agent signing.
Paul George (F) — 6’9″/25 years old. Drafted with No. 10 overall pick in 2010.
George Hill (G) — 6’3″/29 years old. Acquired via trade with the Spurs.
Jordan Hill (F/C) — 6’10″/27 years old. Free agent signing.
Solomon Hill (F) — 6’7″/24 years old. Drafted with No. 23 overall pick in 2013.
Ty Lawson (G) — 5’11″/28 years old. Free agent signing.
Ian Mahinmi (C) — 6’11″/28 years old. Acquired via sign-and-trade from the Mavericks.
C.J. Miles (G) — 6’6″/28 years old. Free agent signing.
Glenn Robinson III (G/F) — 6’7″/21 years old. Free agent signing.
Rodney Stuckey (G) — 6’5″/29 years old. Free agent signing.
Myles Turner (F/C) — 6’11″/19 years old. Drafted with No. 11 overall pick in 2015.
Shayne Whittington (F) — 6’11″/24 years old. Free agent signing.
Joseph Young (G) — 6’2″/23 years old. Drafted with No. 43 overall pick in 2015.

10-Day Contracts (0)

None

TOTAL ROSTER COUNT (15)

Central Notes: Kaminsky, Pistons, Pacers

June 13th, 2015 at 1:50pm CST by Eddie Scarito

According to a source close to Wisconsin center Frank Kaminsky, the big man has a list of three teams that he believes would be a good fit for him, and the Pacers are one of those squads, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star relays. “They kind of alluded to the fact that they want to get up and down more, get out and run a little bit more but at the same time under control,” Kaminsky said after his meeting with the Pacers at the draft combine. “That’s kind of how it was for me my last year in Wisconsin, so I think it’ll be a good fit.” It’s Indiana’s desire to switch to a more up-tempo offense that has the team reportedly hoping that incumbent big man Roy Hibbert will opt out of his $15.514MM player option for the 2015/16 campaign.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The Pacers have workouts scheduled on Sunday for Corey Hawkins (UC Davis), Darrun Hilliard (Villanova), Kaminsky, T.J. McConnell (Arizona), D.J. Newbill (Penn State), and Myles Turner (Texas), the team announced.
With four trades completed since October, the Pistons‘ front office combination of president/coach Stan Van Gundy and GM Jeff Bower is proving itself to be quite active and willing to gamble, writes Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press.
The acquisition of Ersan Ilyasova by the Pistons is intended to help center Andre Drummond unlock his enormous potential, Ellis writes in a separate piece. Ilyasova is a stretch four, and his outside shooting should provide space for Drummond’s rolls to the rim for alley-oop dunks off passes from point guard Reggie Jackson, who will be another beneficiary of Ilyasova’s career 37% three-point shooting drawing the attention of defenses, Eillis adds.

And-Ones: Agents, Buza, Zipser, Portis

June 12th, 2015 at 11:49am CST by Chuck Myron

An agent who spoke with Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com is worried that a union proposal that would significantly hike agent certification fees threatens to drive a large number of representatives out of business. A union spokesperson said to Begley that it was “ridiculous” to assume the measure posed such a threat, however. The change would up dues from $1,500 to between $5K and $15K, though it requires approval from a union committee before it would go into place, Begley notes. Here’s more from around the NBA:

Second-round draft prospect Nedim Buza has signed with Oostende of Belgium, the team announced (hat tip to David Pick of Eurobasket.com). Buza, a Bosnian small forward, is the 51st-best prospect for this year’s draft, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has him 53rd. Buza’s deal runs three years with an option for a fourth, though it’s unclear whether it’s a team, player or mutual option. Monday is the last day for Buza to withdraw from the draft, though he could elect to stay in and perhaps become a draft-and-stash player. It’s unclear what sort of NBA outs, if any, are in the contract.
German forward Paul Zipser will withdraw from this year’s draft, reports Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link). He stood a decent chance to end up in the second round, too, as Givony ranked him 68th, though Ford has him at No. 92.
The Cavaliers, Spurs, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Hawks, Bucks and Pacers spoke to Arkansas power forward Bobby Portis at last month’s combine, Portis said, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, who writes in his NBA PM piece. Previous reports indicated that he also talked to Boston and Portland.
The BDA Sports agency has promised an NBA deal for former USC shooting guard Daniel Hackett if he can free himself from his contract with Italy’s EA7 Emporio Armani Milano, a source tells Sportando’s David Pick (Twitter link). Hackett intends to find a way out of the European deal, Pick adds.

And-Ones: Kaun, Pacers, Wells

June 8th, 2015 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Draft-and-stash prospect Sasha Kaun is moving to the United States and will explore his NBA options, his agent J.R. Hensley tells David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). The 30-year-old Kaun, who played for CSKA Moscow last season, has retired from the Russian League, Pick adds in a separate tweet. The 6’11” center was originally drafted in 2008 by the SuperSonics — the last draft pick made by the franchise before moving to Oklahoma City — and his rights were later traded to the Cavaliers for cash considerations.

In other news around the league:

Kentucky forward Trey Lyles is among the group of players scheduled to work out Thursday for the Pacers, according to Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. He’ll be joined by three other forwards — Arkansas’ Bobby Portis, LSU’s Jordan Mickey and Wyoming’s Larry Nance Jr. — along with Ohio State point guard Shannon Scott and D-League guard Jarvis Threatt. Indiana owns the No. 11 overall pick.
Maryland shooting guard Dez Wells pulled out of a scheduled workout with the Jazz on Friday with an undisclosed injury, Randy Hollis of the Deseret News reports. Wells is rated No. 69 by ESPN Insider Chad Ford and No. 84 by DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony on their lists of Top 100 prospects.
Delaware State center Kendall Gray will work out with the Heat on Tuesday, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets.

Southwest Rumors: Hanlan, Grizzlies, Cook

June 8th, 2015 at 6:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets have worked out Boston College’s Olivier Hanlan, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The 6’4” combo guard worked out for the Lakers on Monday and also worked out this month for the Timberwolves, Suns and Celtics. He is ranked No. 41 on ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s list of Top 100 prospects while DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony currently pegs him at No. 53. Houston holds the No. 18 overall pick (from the Pelicans) in the first round and No. 32 (from the Knicks) early in the second, so Hanlan needed to make quite an impression for the Rockets to consider drafting him.

In other news around the Southwest Division:

Hanlan will also participate in the Grizzlies’ fourth pre-draft workout on Tuesday, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. He’ll be joined by Utah point guard Delon Wright, Syracuse power forward Rakeem Christmas, LSU forward Jarell Martin, Florida guard Michael Frazier and BYU guard Tyler Haws. The Grizzlies own the No. 25 overall pick in the first round and Wright (No 26 on Ford’s board, No. 28 on Givony’s board) and Martin (31, 27) are the highest-rated prospects. Wright has already worked out for the Trail Blazers, Pacers, Bulls, Wizards, Lakers and Suns while Haws has recently auditioned for the Jazz, Mavericks, Suns and Lakers, according to Brandon Judd of the Deseret News. Haws is also scheduled to work out for the Warriors and Nets, Judd adds.
Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv adds the Mavs to the list of teams working out Duke point guard Quinn Cook (Twitter link). Cook revealed several workout appointments and much more in a recent interview with Zach Links of Hoops Rumors.

And-Ones: Okafor, Mickey, Stiggers, Lottery

June 8th, 2015 at 5:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers will work out Jahlil Okafor on Tuesday, the team announced (Twitter link), in what will be the first predraft workout that the center from Duke will have with an NBA team. Okafor recently dismissed rumors that he preferred to play for the Lakers, who draft No. 2 overall, instead of the Timberwolves, who have the top pick, but it seems he’s no certainty for either the first or second picks, so Tuesday’s audition carries no small consequence. Okafor won’t have to travel far, as he’s been working out independently in Southern California of late, as he tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors recently broke down the big man’s game as part of our Prospect Profile Series. Here’s more from around the NBA:

The Pacers, Hawks and Thunder will work out LSU power forward Jordan Mickey, as he told reporters, including Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
University of Houston guard Jherrod Stiggers will work out this week for the Hawks and Nets, his agent tells Shlomo Sprung of SheridanHoops (Twitter link). Dan Curtin is the representative for Stiggers, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
Serbian point guard Nikola Radicevic will have predraft workouts with the Wizards and Thunder, reports David Pick of Eurobasket.com (on Twitter).
Commissioner Adam Silver made it clear last week that while he supports lottery reform, he’d like to wait to see the league’s economics after the salary cap jumps next summer before making a renewed push for change, as RealGM transcribes.