Indiana Pacers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Maxiell, Bucks, Bird, Sloan

April 19th, 2012 at 11:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Central Division plays a prominent role in a pair of tonight's most intriguing games, as the Bucks look to keep their postseason hopes alive with a win in Indiana, while the Bulls will aim to lock up the East's number one seed by beating Miami. Before we get to tonight's games, let's check in on the latest out of the Central:

Jason Maxiell holds a $5MM player option for next season, and is undecided on whether to exercise it, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. "I want to talk to [Pistons' management], see where everybody's head is at," Maxiell said. "[Exploring free agency] could be the smart thing to do, but Detroit's my home and the security I have with them could be great for next season."
The jobs of coach Scott Skiles and GM John Hammond could be on the line if the Bucks miss the playoffs, says Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
It doesn't make sense for Larry Bird to leave the Pacers after this season, argues Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star.
Donald Sloan has turned into a capable backup point guard, according to a piece at FOX Sports Ohio. The report adds that "many seem to think" Sloan has a better chance of earning a spot on next year's Cavaliers roster than Lester Hudson. Based on contract statuses alone, it's hard to argue that point — Cleveland has Sloan under contract for 2012/13 on a non-guaranteed deal, while I believe Hudson's second 10-day deal with the team expired last night.
Keith Langlois of Pistons.com fielded Pistons-related inquiries in a mailbag.

Odds & Ends: Celtics, Raptors, Brown, Draft

April 16th, 2012 at 10:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's an eventful night in the NBA with 11 games, many of which have playoff implications. There's been plenty of draft news as well, as teams look past the playoffs, and one item concerning the distant future, with the NBA announcing the Hornets will host the 2014 All-Star Game, just six years after hosting the 2008 event. The new ownership of Tom Benson had plenty to do with that, though he's already come up short in his quest to get the Jazz nickname back from Utah, as Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune notes. If Benson ditches the Hornets name, it'll be a while before Charlotte could use it again, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. While nicknames won't be moving for a while, there's plenty of movement on other fronts, and here's the latest:

A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com doesn't think free agents Roy Hibbert and Eric Gordon will switch teams this summer, but says the Celtics have interest in both (Twitter link).
Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun breaks down the Raptors' roster and predicts who'll be there next season and who won't.
Longtime coach Larry Brown is pursuing the Blazers GM job even as he zeroes in on the SMU coaching gig, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford discusses the possibility that Kentucky senior Darius Miller, currently projected as a second-rounder, could climb up the draft board and make it six first-round picks for the Wildcats (Insider only).
Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday rounds up Carmelo Anthony's comments on multiple radio shows today about the way new Knicks coach Mike Woodson has held him accountable (Sulia links).
Mavs cast-off Lamar Odom leads Sam Smith's list of the biggest disappointments this year on NBA.com
Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida shares the results of an informal survey of 11 former MVPs, who give a slight edge to Kevin Durant over LeBron James in this year's race. The former players won't have official votes for the award; instead, writers and broadcasters will make the selection.
Roland Beech of 82games.com crunches the numbers and determines Gilbert Arenas, taken in the second round by the Warriors in 2001, was the shrewdest draft choice in recent years (hat tip to Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld).

Odds & Ends: Blazers, Pacers, Heat, Harangody

April 14th, 2012 at 5:54pm CST by Daniel Seco

With six more games yet to be played this Saturday evening, let's take a look at the latest news and happenings from around the league before tonight's action gets underway.

Comcast SportsNet NW's Chris Haynes tweets the Blazers have not yet interviewed the team's acting general manager Chad Buchanan for an opportunity to secure the position for next season and beyond.
While the Pacers are on track to secure the third seed in the Eastern Conference, the team hasn't enjoyed the same kind of success with selling tickets to home games this season, writes Benjamin Hoffman of The New York Times. Hoffman points to the fact that the Pacers lack a superstar talent like a LeBron James or a Kobe Bryant that helps drive ticket sales. The team's lack of popularity also exists on the road where fans are more likely to be wearing a Reggie Miller jersey than one featuring Danny Granger's name on the back.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, writing in his mailbag column, believes this offseason will be critical to the Heat's development of Dexter Pittman, Norris Cole and Terrel Harris. The trio will be able to play in the Las Vegas summer league unlike last summer in which the lockout kept basketball from being played in Sin City. Only Cole, as a first-round pick from last year, has a guaranteed contract for next season.
The Cavs will send Luke Harangody back to the D-League after tonight's game against the Wizards, reports Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer via Twitter.

Poll: Where Will Eric Gordon End Up?

April 12th, 2012 at 7:29pm CST by Sean Highkin

Earlier today, Luke Adams posted a breakdown of Eric Gordon‘s free-agency outlook for the summer. Later, SI.com’s Sam Amick named the Mavericks, Pacers, Suns, and Trail Blazers as teams that could potentially compete with the Hornets for Gordon’s services. The fourth-year guard, acquired by New Orleans in the Chris Paul trade, is set to be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

Where do you think Gordon will end up: back with the Hornets, with one of these rumored suitors, or somewhere else entirely?

Southwest Rumors: Gordon, Hornets, Grizz, Odom

April 12th, 2012 at 4:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Around the time I posted this afternoon's Free Agent Stock Watch piece on Eric Gordon, SI.com's Sam Amick published an article in which he discussed Gordon's impending free agency with the Hornets guard himself. While New Orleans has the inside track to sign Gordon this summer, Amick names the Pacers, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, and Suns as other teams with some interest. The Hornets' new ownership group could also have an impact on how aggressive New Orleans is in matching rival offers for Gordon.

Here are a few more Southwest Division links:

Mike Dunleavy is part of the group likely to purchase the Hornets, a fact that concerns the team's current management, according to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. "Mike is going to want his own people in there, he has a reputation as a control freak," a Hornets source told Deveney. "It will be good for the team obviously to have an owner in. But I think everybody is a little on edge because of that, because you don't know what is going to happen. Or I guess you do know, you know there are going to be changes coming once there’s a new group in charge. It could be a house cleaning."
Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins has transformed the team's rotation through minor roster moves and lineup shuffling, says Rob Mahoney of the New York Times.
Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com wonders how much money Lamar Odom cost himself in the long-term due to his poor season with the Mavericks.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban never believed that Odom wanted to sit out this season, writes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Central Notes: Macklin, Pacers, Jamison

April 9th, 2012 at 2:23pm CST by Michael Pina

Pistons rookie Vernon Macklin, a second-round pick in last year's draft, earned rave reviews for his D-League stint, Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News writes. He averaged 14.3 PPG and 14.5 RPG in 10 games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Macklin is a restricted free agent, but looks forward to working with Pistons strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander this summer, notes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.

HoopsWorld.com's Joel Brigham writes about how the Pacers firm stance to be patient in their rebuilding process has paid off. Instead of dealing franchise player Danny Granger when the public assumed they'd do just that, the team has decided to wait out the development of their last few draft picks. Their restraint appears to be working.
Cavaliers forward Antawn Jamison may not be in the team's future plans, but his recent strong play and consistent professionalim deserves some recognition, writes The Plain Dealer's Tom Reed.

Donnie Walsh To Explore General Manager Options

April 6th, 2012 at 2:31pm CST by Michael Pina

Longtime general manager Donnie Walsh is interested in re-entering the profession on a full-time basis, according to CBSSports.com's Ken Berger. Walsh is still under contract with the Knicks, but has been granted permission by the organization to explore other opportunities with other organizations.

Walsh's current contract as a consultant with New York will expire on June 30. According to Berger, the 71-year-old executive will first look at the Trail Blazers, as they are soon believed to be conducting a search for a long-term general manager. But should something open up in Indiana, where rumors have recently been swirling of Larry Bird possibly stepping down from his general manger position, Walsh would strongly consider returning to the team he used to run.

Walsh will not speak with any teams until their general manager position is officially open, but some other options might be with the Wizards and Magic. Also, according to Berger, it's just a coincidence that the Knicks gave Walsh permission to seek work elsewhere on the same day that his predecessor as Knicks president, Isiah Thomas, was fired as coach of Florida International University.

Kyler’s Latest: Williams, Nash, Nelson, Hibbert

April 5th, 2012 at 10:33am CST by Luke Adams

Within his preview of a few of the summer's top free agents, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld shares some rumors on the potential landing spots for those players. Let's check out the highlights….

The Deron Williams sweepstakes are the Nets' to lose. If the team can't surround Williams with satisfactory talent, expect the point guard to sign elsewhere.
Kyler hears the Suns have "put the idea of a two-year, $20MM offer on the table" for Steve Nash. Nash is said to be seeking a three-year deal, and if Phoenix were to add an extra year, it would almost certainly be the best offer the veteran would receive. Still, Kyler points out that Nash has earned well over $100MM in his NBA career, so he won't necessarily just take the highest salary.
Jameer Nelson has yet to decide on his player option for next season. While he's very unlikely to find a higher salary for 2012/13 on the open market, Nelson could potentially land a larger guarantee over multiple years. Declining the option would also give him more agency in determining where he plays, since he'd be a trade candidate with the Magic.
The Nets' Gerald Wallace is also undecided on his 2012/13 player option, though opting in seems more likely at this point.
It's very unlikely that another team poaches restricted free agent Roy Hibbert from the Pacers.
The Nuggets will probably match any offer for JaVale McGee of $7MM or less annually, but it's unclear whether they'd go much higher than that.

Odds & Ends: Bulls, Davis, Pistons, Spurs

April 1st, 2012 at 4:44pm CST by Michael Pina

The Bulls are doing battle with the Thunder today in another possible Finals match-up. Chicago is once again without their best player, Derrick Rose. In an Insider piece on ESPN.com, Basketball-Reference's Neil Paine explains that despite the team experiencing recent success without Rose, they have no chance at winning a title if he doesn't play.

Tim Griffin from Spurs Nation has a piece on San Antonio's probable decision to change their lineups as the playoffs grow near.
ESPNNY.com's Ian Begley writes about the importance of Baron Davis now that Jeremy Lin will have knee surgery.
Vincent Goodwill from The Detroit News thinks Joe Dumars needs to take the Pistons in a new direction.
Since Ray Allen went down with an ankle injury, and Mickael Pietrus suffered a concussion, Avery Bradley's insertion in Boston's starting lineup has been a revelation for the team's playoff chances, writes The Sporting News' Sean Deveney.
CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes poses an interesting question regarding a difficult decision Portland might have this offseason. With both J.J. Hickson and Nicolas Batum being restricted free agents, which one should the team set as a priority for keeping? For reference, here's a look at our list of 2012/13 free agents.
The Sacramento Bee's Stephen Magagnini wrote a piece about the impact rookie Isaiah Thomas has had both on the court and in the community.
The Indianapolis Star's Mike Wells writes about the relationship Pacers guard George Hill still shares with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. Also, Indiana head coach Frank Vogel talks about why he's decided it isn't worth it to rest his veterans despite the season's hectic schedule.

Odds & Ends: Smith, Kidd, Van Gundy, Thibodeau

March 31st, 2012 at 12:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Linkage from around the Association..

Jason Fleming of HoopsWorld wonders if the teams that have yet to use the amensty provision will pull the trigger this summer and looks at some potential candidates.
Hawks forward Josh Smith had some rough patches with Mike Woodson in Atlanta but says that he's happy for his former coach's success with the Knicks, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday.
Sources close to Jason Kidd told Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld that the guard wouldn't be opposed to staying with the Mavericks next season in a reduced role. Kidd also told Kennedy that he would someday like to become a general manager.
More from Kennedy as a growing number of people within the Magic organization believe that Stan Van Gundy will quit after this season, mainly because he doesn’t want deal with the Dwight Howard circus again next season.
ESPN's Chris Broussard (video link) could see former Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni possibly landing with the Clippers and has also heard his name linked to the Wizards.
Pacers guard George Hill says that he was emotional when he first learned of the trade that sent him from the Spurs to Indiana, writes Mike Monroe of the Express-News. Hill, 25, is averaging 9.4 points in 23.9 minutes per contest this season.
The Bulls players hope to see coach Tom Thibodeau get the contract extension that he seeks, writes Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune.
Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel thinks that the Heat should use their $3MM mid-level exception this summer to add a big man.