Indiana Pacers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Turner, Ball, Mathurin, Sarama, Russell

October 15th, 2025 at 10:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Bucks got their first glimpse of the Giannis Antetokounmpo–Myles Turner pairing on Sunday, and what they saw in just over five minutes should excite them, says Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Despite Antetokounmpo’s somewhat pedestrian box score numbers, his presence opened up the floor for the team’s shooters, Nehm writes. Most importantly, Turner’s instincts, not only as a spacer but also as a cutter, worked perfectly alongside Antetokounmpo’s scoring gravity, creating wide-open looks for the Bucks’ guards.

“The most important thing about him is that he sacrifices,” Antetokounmpo said. “At times, he knows that he’s not going to get the ball and he’s going to create the open shot for his teammate.”

While the on-court stint may have been over quickly, Nehm feels it’s indicative of why pursuing Turner was the right choice for a team featuring Antetokounmpo. So far, the Bucks’ star seems to agree.

“It’s fun playing with him. Makes the game easier for me,” Antetokounmpo said. “I think I’ll try to make the game easier for him. When I draw a lot of attention, I think he’s gonna be able to create a lot of open shots … So he just makes the game easier not just for me, for the whole team.”

We have more notes from around the Central Division:

Speaking of proving the value of an offseason pursuit, Lonzo Ball showed during Tuesday’s preseason game against the Pistons why the Cavaliers targeted him in trade talks this summer, writes Chris Fedor for Cleveland.com. Ball did a bit of everything in his 20 minutes, with nine points, nine assists, four rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Coach Kenny Atkinson said that was exactly what he was envisioning Ball’s role to be. “He hasn’t disappointed,” Atkinson said. “Everything that we thought we were getting, we’re getting. He’s just got a great, great feel. I’m excited to coach any NBA player, but this is a guy I’ve watched for a long time. He’s kind of the ultimate system fit.” It appears the only questions surrounding Ball’s tenure in Cleveland will be related to health, not skill set.
Bennedict Mathurin is expected to command a significant role for the Pacers this season with Tyrese Haliburton recovering from an Achilles tear. In Monday’s preseason matchup against the Spurs, he showed that he could not only create his own shot, but also play within the flow of the offense, writes Dustin Dopirak for the Indianapolis Star. Mathurin ended the game with 31 points on 11-of-12 shooting. On the less encouraging side of things, the Pacers’ four centers, Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff, James Wiseman, and Tony Bradley, scored three total points on 0-of-10 shooting. With the departure of Turner, figuring out how to survive the center rotation will be crucial for the Pacers to stay competitive.
Alex Sarama, who spent the last year and a half as an assistant coach with the Cavaliers, has been announced as the first head coach for the newly-christened Portland Fire WNBA team, writes Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports. Sarama worked with Fire general manager Vanja Cernivec during their time with the London Lions in the British Basketball League, serving as the Lions’ director of methodology.
Walker Russell Jr. has played for the Pistons, as did his father, Walter Russell Sr. He now returns to the organization as an assistant coach for its G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, writes Omar Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. The Russells remain the only father-son duo to ever both play for the Pistons, and Sankofa adds that both father and son started and ended their playing career in Detroit. Russell Jr. is eager for the opportunity. “This right here is the best feeling I ever had, coming home,” he said. “I get to grind player development, I get to grind with the guys and tell my story, the good and the bad. The bad is what I really, really like to harp on because everybody talks about the good in this business. Nobody really talks about how you stay in this business.“

Injury Notes: Garland, Suggs, Adebayo, Bucks, Pacers, Thiero

October 15th, 2025 at 9:03am CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland took an important step forward in his recovery from toe surgery by participating in a 5-on-5 contact scrimmage on Tuesday, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). While head coach Kenny Atkinson referred to as a positive development, he cautioned that it doesn’t mean Garland’s return is imminent.

“It was live. It was very short,” Atkinson said. “Now let’s see what tomorrow looks like. What does the recovery look like? We know this is not an easy injury to come back from. It’s just not. You see what happens in the NFL with this injury. It’s not linear, usually, the return to performance, and we’re hoping it will be and he’ll progress. But I side on the side of being conservative and making sure. This is a good step today. A small step but a good step.”

Sources who have spoken to Fedor have maintained that Garland still could miss the first 10-15 games of the regular season. With their starting point guard expected to be unavailable when the season tips off, the Cavs intend to start Sam Merrill in the backcourt alongside Donovan Mitchell, who will take on more ball-handling responsibilities, says Fedor.

We have several more injury-related updates from around the NBA:

Magic guard Jalen Suggs did “a little bit” of contact work on Tuesday in a 3-on-3 setting, head coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters, including Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). It’s unclear whether Suggs will be able to play in Orlando’s remaining preseason game on Thursday or if he’ll be ready for the season opener next Wednesday.
Heat big man Bam Adebayo exited Monday’s preseason game early due to a knee injury, but it’s just a contusion and wasn’t serious enough to require an MRI, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). While it remains to be seen if Adebayo will suit up in the team’s preseason finale on Friday, it sounds like he should fine for the start of the season.
After Myles Turner (right calf soreness) and Gary Harris (right hamstring strain) sat out the Bucks‘ last preseason game on Tuesday, head coach Doc Rivers downplayed Turner’s issue and suggested he’ll be ready for the start of the season, but said Harris’ hamstring injury will likely sideline him for a week or two, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter links).
The injuries that Pacers reserves Johnny Furphy (left ankle sprain) and Quenton Jackson (right hamstring soreness) are dealing with aren’t “serious,” according to head coach Rick Carlisle, but there’s no guarantee either player will be ready for opening night. “There’s a chance they could be back for the opening of the season, but I don’t know how big of a chance,” Carlisle said, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. The Pacers’ coach added Ben Sheppard, who has been out with an undisclosed injury, is “trending in a good direction” and could be available on Friday for the club’s preseason finale.
Lakers rookie Adou Thiero remains sidelined due to swelling in his knee but has progressed to on-court activities, the team announced on Tuesday (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic). The Lakers added that Thiero will be reevaluated in approximately two or three weeks.

Five Under-The-Radar Veteran Extension Candidates To Watch

October 13th, 2025 at 4:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The deadline for teams to sign players to rookie scale extensions is a week from today, and we'll be keeping an eye on several notable rookie scale extension candidates in the coming days. That group includes Pistons teammates Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, Nuggets guard Christian Braun, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, Rockets forward Tari Eason, Kings forward Keegan Murray, and Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe.

A number of big-name players are also eligible for veteran contract extensions, with Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Heat guard Tyler Herro, and Hawks guard Trae Young among those we're been monitoring ahead of the 2025/26 season.

However, many of the most viable extension candidates have flown somewhat under the radar this fall, so we want to shine a spotlight on some of those players today. In the space below, we'll take a closer look at five players who are eligible for veteran contract extensions and who could realistically sign new contracts either before opening night or at some point during the season.

Let's dive in...

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Injury Notes: Jazz, Williams, Sheppard, Furphy

October 12th, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Jazz are getting closer to full health, tweets Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. According to Larsen, Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, and Kyle Filipowski, who missed the start of training camp due to lower back, left shoulder, and left wrist injuries, respectively, were full participants in practice on Sunday.

The three big men were unavailable for Utah’s opening two preseason matchups, but are gearing up for their returns. Markkanen previously stated that while his injury was minor, he wasn’t sure of his exact timetable for return.

Larsen also notes that Kyle Anderson, who played at least 14 minutes in each of the opening preseason games, was not able to suit up for practice due to right knee tendinitis.

We have more injury notes from around the league:

Vince Williams Jr. missed the Grizzlies‘ game against the Hawks on Friday night, but according to head coach Tuomas Iisalo, his absence wasn’t a cause for concern. Iisalo said the decision was made because of “small precautions,” according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (via Twitter), and added that it was “nothing serious at this moment.”
Ben Sheppard has been absent from each of the Pacers‘ two preseason games so far and is doubtful for Monday’s upcoming tilt against the Spurs, reports Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). According to coach Rick Carlisle, Sheppard is still working his way back to being a full practice participant. The Pacers are very light on healthy guards at the moment; in addition to Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana is already missing T.J. McConnell, who will be out at least a month with a hamstring injury, as well as 2025 draft pick Kam Jones, who is sidelined due to a back injury.
Pacers sophomore Johnny Furphy is joining Sheppard on the injury report after he sprained his left ankle in Saturday’s contest with the Thunder, Dopirak writes. Furphy’s recovery timeline has not been reported yet, nor has the severity of the sprain.

Central Notes: White, Jackson, Allen, Hunter

October 9th, 2025 at 8:15pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Coby White has added motivation to return swiftly from a calf strain that’s plagued him ahead of the 2025/26 season, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. White is on track to be an unrestricted free agent next summer and will be looking to build on the best two years of his career.

According to Cowley, early indications are that both the Bulls and White are interested in getting a deal done next summer. Both sides are expected to proceed with caution when it comes to his return from his calf injury.

With White sidelined in Chicago’s preseason opener on Tuesday, Kevin Huerter took the bulk of his minutes and started in his stead. If White is to miss any regular season time, Huerter would be the prime candidate to assume a larger role.

We have more from the Central Division:

After missing all but five games last season due to an Achilles injury, Pacers center Isaiah Jackson seems to have the inside track to the starting center role, according to Dustin Dopirak of IndyStar, who details the big man’s recovery and conditioning process. “I can use my weight,” Jackson said. “I was always physical but I couldn’t move guys how I wanted to. I couldn’t play my brand of basketball. I’d get up to the offensive rim and I’d have to go straight up. Now I can bump people and move people out the way and I don’t really affected by it. Strength wise, I can play defense a little better. I can hold my own.“
The tandem of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley has proven to be effective, but Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated speculates that Allen could be a name to watch at the deadline depending on how the Cavaliers open the season. According to Mannix, most evaluators view Mobley as a long-term center, so there’s a sense that the team could be open to moving Allen at some point for the right return.
De’Andre Hunter had his most successful NBA season in 2024/25 across stints with the Hawks and Cavaliers, averaging a career-high 17.0 points per game and finishing fourth in Sixth Player of the Year voting. He looks poised to carry over that momentum this fall and take another step forward, having recorded 17 points and seven rebounds in Cleveland’s preseason opener. In a subscriber-only piece, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com examines why Hunter’s teammates are expecting a “huge year” from the forward and why head coach Kenny Atkinson has referred to him as the club’s “offseason MVP.”

T.J. McConnell Out At Least One Month With Hamstring Strain

October 9th, 2025 at 12:55pm CST by Rory Maher

Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell will be sidelined for at least one month after suffering a left hamstring strain, head coach Rick Carlisle announced today (Twitter link via the team).

McConnell was forced to leave Tuesday’s preseason opener in the second quarter due to the injury.

Obviously, it’s a disappointing development for the Pacers, who will be without star point guard Tyrese Haliburton for the entire season after he sustained a torn Achilles tendon in the first quarter of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Second-round pick Kam Jones, another guard, is expected to miss multiple weeks with a back injury.

McConnell, 33, is entering his 11th NBA season and seventh with Indiana.

The veteran backup appeared in 79 regular season contests in 2024/25, averaging 9.1 points, 4.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 17.9 minutes per game. He also had a strong playoff showing, with very similar averages — 9.5 PPG, 4.0 APG, 3.3 RPG, 0.9 SPG — in 23 games (17.5 MPG).

Indiana originally intended to sign Monte Morris to compete for a spot as the third-string point guard behind Andrew Nembhard and McConnell, but the deal fell through when Morris suffered a calf strain. Veteran Delon Wright was signed instead, but was released Thursday morning in favor of Cameron Payne after Wright took two brutal blows to the head during Tuesday’s preseason opener.

Wright announced on social media (Twitter link) that he needed 10 stitches above his right eye and four on his right elbow, but is “doing good” otherwise.

According to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, Payne will likely be the second-string point guard while McConnell recovers. Carlisle discussed the transactions this afternoon.

“It just didn’t work out with Delon,” Carlisle said, per Dopirak. “Cam’s here. We’ve seen a lot of Cam the last two years with Milwaukee and New York. He’s a guy we always had to account for in scouts and what not. It’s a great opportunity for him.”

“His speed, his long-range shooting ability is high level,” Carlisle said when asked what he likes about Payne’s game. “He’s experienced, knows the game, has good feel, and he’s a play-maker.”

Pacers Sign Cameron Payne, Waive Delon Wright

October 9th, 2025 at 9:39am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers have signed veteran point guard Cameron Payne and waived Delon Wright, the team announced in a press release.

Payne, who appeared in 72 regular season games with the Knicks last season, was one of the top free agents still on the market. Payne was signed to a training camp contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Payne averaged 6.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 15.1 minutes per night last season with .401/.363/.907 shooting numbers. He scored 14 points off the bench and was a plus-23 overall in the opener of the Knicks’ first-round series against Detroit. However, his shooting numbers declined throughout the playoffs, and he was removed from the rotation during the Eastern Conference Finals.

The New York Post reported last month the Knicks were not interested in re-signing him.

Payne was selected by Oklahoma City with the 14th pick in the 2015 draft. He was traded to Chicago at the 2017 deadline and later spent time with Cleveland, Phoenix, Milwaukee and Philadelphia before signing with New York. He has appeared in 477 regular season games.

Ironically, Payne and Wright were teammates with the Knicks. Wright began last season with the Bucks before being traded to the Knicks ahead of the deadline. He averaged 3.1 points per game across 40 appearances with both teams and was a bit more productive in New York, averaging 4.3 points and 2.1 assists per night and making six playoff appearances. Wright has appeared in 548 regular season contests for 10 different NBA teams in a career that also began in 2015.

Wright was signed to an Exhibit 9 contract late last month. Exhibit 9 deals are standard, non-guaranteed contracts that protect an NBA team in the event that a player suffers a significant injury in training camp.

He played four minutes in the team’s preseason opener on Tuesday but was forced to exit after a head-to-head collision.

Pacers Notes: Wright, McConnell, Bradley, Furphy

October 8th, 2025 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Pacers guard Delon Wright, who is competing to earn a spot on the team’s regular season roster, was forced to exit Tuesday’s preseason opener after spending just four minutes on the court, writes Devon Henderson of The Athletic.

Handling the ball just across the half-court line late in the second quarter, Wright went to change directions and took a brutal head-to-head shot from Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark, who was attempting to sneak behind him for the steal. Wright was knocked to the floor and took another shot to his head when it struck the court (Twitter video link).

Wright, who had a bloody gash above his right eye as a result of the play, received treatment on the court and was eventually helped to the locker room. The veteran guard is with the Pacers on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract, but is viewed as a legitimate contender to become the 15th man on a team that has 14 players on fully or partially guaranteed standard deals.

Here’s more on the Pacers:

Wright wasn’t the only Pacers point guard who had to leave Tuesday’s game early. As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes, T.J. McConnell exited in the second quarter due to a sore left hamstring and didn’t return. Indiana, of course, is already missing its starting point guard, as Tyrese Haliburton will spend the entire 2025/26 season recovering from an Achilles tear.
Tony Bradley provided crucial frontcourt depth for the Pacers down the stretch last season, but with Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman back following injury absences, there may not be room on the roster for him this fall. Bradley, who is on a non-guaranteed contract, said this week that he knows “what’s at stake” during the preseason, and that he’s determined to do all he can to remain in the NBA after spending two full years out of the league from 2023-25. “I stayed motivated ever since I went down to the G League and came up,” Bradley said, according to Dopirak (subscription required). “My whole mindset is just different, how I see everything. I’m very motivated, always.”
2024 second-round pick Johnny Furphy had a very limited role as a rookie, averaging just 7.6 minutes per night in 50 games. However, he’s playing with more confidence ahead of his second NBA season and is making a case for a spot in the Pacers’ rotation, Dopirak writes for The Indy Star (subscription required). “He’s gotten stronger, he’s gotten bigger, I think he’s gotten taller,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s obviously a hard worker. He does a lot of things system-wise that really help us. Speed, rebounding, pressure on the rim, and defensively he’s improved. … He’s a fearless athlete. He attacks everything. He’s unafraid, tough, and every day he gets better.”

And-Ones: Delfino, Positional Rankings, Top Storylines, More

October 8th, 2025 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on the “Doble Doble” podcast this week, former NBA forward Carlos Delfino confirmed that he is retiring as a player, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops writes.

Delfino, who turned 43 in August, was the 25th overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft and spent nine years in the league from 2004-08 and 2009-14 (he played in Russia in 2008/09). The Argentinian wing averaged 8.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 22.8 minutes per game across 507 regular season outings for the Pistons, Raptors, Bucks, and Rockets before injuries derailed his career.

Delfino eventually returned to action in Europe in 2017 and spent the next several seasons playing for non-NBA teams. A longtime international standout, he won an Olympic gold medal in Athens in 2004 as a member of the Argentina national team that upset Team USA in the semifinals, then took home a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

We have several more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Law Murray of The Athletic ranked all 30 NBA teams based on their depth charts at each position, with the Thunder (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; Cason Wallace) taking the No. 1 spot at point guard while the Timberwolves (Anthony Edwards; Terrence Shannon Jr.) sit atop the shooting guard list. The Rockets (Kevin Durant; Tari Eason), Bucks (Giannis Antetokounmpo; Bobby Portis), and Nuggets (Nikola Jokic; Jonas Valanciunas) ranked first at small forward, power forward, and center, respectively.
What storylines will be the biggest of the 2025/26 season? Chris Mannix of SI.com makes his predictions, including whether or not Antetokounmpo will finish the season with the Bucks, how much better the Magic will be with Desmond Bane, and whether the concept of playoff reseeding will gain any momentum based on the relative strength of the Western Conference.
An international basketball league that has been in the works for the past couple years still plans to launch in 2026, but LeBron James‘ business partner Maverick Carter is no longer involved in the venture, according to Ben Horney and Daniel Roberts of Front Office Sports. The report from Horney and Roberts provides some details on the big names who are investing in the league, including tennis star Novak Djokovic and former WNBA star Candace Parker.
John Hollinger of The Athletic‘s projections for the bottom half of the Eastern Conference in 2025/26 include the Sixers, Celtics, and Pacers finishing 10th through 12th with 37, 36, and 31 wins, respectively. However, he acknowledges that Philadelphia might have a wider range of potential outcomes than any other team in the NBA.

Injury Notes: K. Jones, Sheppard, Sarr, Gafford, Suns

October 6th, 2025 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Pacers rookie Kam Jones, the 38th overall pick in this year’s draft, will be sidelined for several weeks due to a back injury, head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters on Monday (Twitter link via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). Carlisle added that third-year wing Ben Sheppard will miss Tuesday’s preseason opener due to an undisclosed injury.

While Carlisle indicated that Sheppard should be available soon, it sounds as if Jones probably won’t be ready to return by the time Indiana’s regular season schedule tips off on October 23 vs. Oklahoma City.

With a pair of players in the Pacers’ backcourt banged up, it’s possible veteran guard Delon Wright‘s chances of making the regular season roster have increased. Wright and center Tony Bradley are both on non-guaranteed contracts and are believed to be competing for the final spot on the team’s 15-man squad.

Here are a few more injury-related notes and updates from around the NBA:

Wizards center Alex Sarr, who sustained a right calf injury during EuroBasket, took part in non-contact work in Monday’s practice, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. It was the first time this fall that Sarr had been a partial participant in a practice. Team officials said at the time of the injury that they expected 2024’s No. 2 overall pick to be ready for the start of the regular season.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said on Sunday that injured center Daniel Gafford, who is recovering from an ankle injury, is “trending in the right direction” but still hasn’t been able to practice, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Twitter link). Besides Gafford and Kyrie Irving (ACL), everyone else is practicing for Dallas, according to Kidd.
Providing updates on a pair of potential starters, Suns head coach Jordan Ott said on Sunday that Jalen Green (hamstring) is “definitely progressing” and that “every day has been better” for him, while Mark Williams is “in a good place” as he ramps up for the season (Twitter video link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). Ott didn’t commit to either player suiting up for one (or both) of the team’s preseason games in China on Friday and Sunday, but he also didn’t rule out the possibility. For what it’s worth, teammate Jared Butler said he thinks Green is “super close” to returning (Twitter video link via Rankin).