Isaiah Jackson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacers Notes: Turner, Nesmith, Mathurin, Haliburton

July 15th, 2022 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Even though they didn’t get Deandre Ayton, the Pacers‘ decision to submit an offer sheet to the free agent center indicates that Myles Turner is probably on the way out, writes James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star.

Turner, 26, was the subject of trade rumors before this year’s deadline, but Indiana decided to keep him and move Domantas Sabonis instead. Turner wound up missing the final 39 games of the season with a stress reaction in his left foot, which could affect his trade value, but Boyd believes there’s still a market for him.

Turner has a $17.5MM expiring contract for next season, and Boyd expects the Pacers to pursue trades for other players with expiring deals to preserve their 2023 cap space. Indiana opened up additional room by waiving four players on Thursday before submitting the offer sheet to Ayton.

There’s more from Indiana:

Aaron Nesmith didn’t get the playing time he was hoping for in Boston after being selected in the 2020 lottery, but he’s hoping for a fresh start with the Pacers, Boyd states in a separate story. Nesmith, who was part of the return for Malcolm Brogdon, said his time with the Celtics was still a valuable experience. “I learned what it takes to win in this league,” he said. “Being able to be a part of a Finals run, make it to the playoffs both of my years, get some playoff experience. So hopefully I can bring that over here to Indiana and kind of show the other young guys what it takes to win and that nothing’s gonna be given to you.”
The Pacers will shut down first-round pick Bennedict Mathurin for the rest of Summer League, citing “precautionary reasons,” Boyd adds in another piece. Mathurin played well in his first three games, averaging 19.3 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 48.8% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range. Isaiah Jackson and Terry Taylor will also be sidelined for the team’s final two games.
In an interview with NBA TV, coach Rick Carlisle raved about the trade that brought Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana in February, according to Boyd. “Haliburton, yeah, that changed everything for this franchise,” Carlisle said. “Now you got free agents that want to come play for the Pacers because they want to come play with Tyrese Haliburton and that’s a huge deal.”

Central Notes: Ayton, Nesmith, Pacers, Ivey, Pistons

July 14th, 2022 at 12:40pm CST by Rory Maher

On a Tuesday appearance on 107.5 The Fan, ESPN’s Bobby Marks detailed a couple ways the Pacers can create enough cap space to sign Suns center Deandre Ayton, the top restricted free agent on the market, to a maximum-salary offer sheet. Indiana is currently about $26.4MM under the cap, but needs to get to $31MM to sign Ayton to a max deal.

“You’d have to waive a (non-guaranteed) player like Duane Washington Jr. and then you’d have to either make a trade or you would have to use the waive and stretch provision on a couple players, maybe the couple players you got in the Celtics trade,” Marks said, per James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. “The challenge becomes if Phoenix matches (an offer sheet for Ayton), you can’t go back and take back those waivers. So you run the risk of losing three players to waivers on an offer sheet that likely would get matched.”

Marks believes the Suns would match the deal so they wouldn’t lose Ayton for nothing, even though he wouldn’t be trade-eligible for several months. As Boyd details, the three players Marks was referring to that came from the Celtics are Juwan Morgan, Nik Stauskas and Malik Fitts.

Boyd says Goga Bitadze might be a player the Pacers could deal away to give Ayton the offer sheet — Bitadze will make $4.765MM next season. However, as Boyd points out, the Pacers haven’t signed a restricted free agent to an offer sheet since 2013, and it was a very modest deal, relatively, for Chris Copeland.

A more viable alternative for Indiana to land Ayton might be a sign-and-trade for Myles Turner, which has been the subject of multiple rumors, but Marks wondered if Turner alone would be enough for Phoenix.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Aaron Nesmith, another player in the trade with Boston that sent Malcolm Brogdon to the Celtics, said he was “completely caught off guard” when he heard the news, but the Pacers had their eye on him for a while and he’ll get a bigger opportunity with Indiana, writes Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Indiana’s brass told Nesmith to focus on honing a specific skill set. “To play free, be a good 3-and-D guy and I could be a top-notch 3-and-D guy in this league, so that’s the focus,” Nesmith said, per Agness. “That’s what we’re going to work for and that’s what I’m going to become.”
The Pacers announced that they’re withholding first-rounder Bennedict Mathurin for the remainder of Las Vegas Summer League due to a sore left big toe. He was the No. 6 pick of last month’s draft. Second-year players Terry Taylor and Isaiah Jackson will also be out. Summer League ends on July 17, so I’m sure it’s just for precautionary reasons.
Jaden Ivey, the No. 5 pick of the draft, showed the Pistons flashes of his enormous upside in his brief Summer League action before suffering a sprained ankle, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Cade Cunningham, Detroit’s No. 1 overall pick last year, said on a recent NBA TV appearance that he was looking forward to playing with his new backcourt partner. “Definitely excited to play with him,” Cunningham said. “He’s so talented, brings so much to the team. Just the way he plays the game, trying to play the right way, trying to play for his teammates, spread the ball. It’s all exciting. Being able to take the court with him is exciting and it’s coming soon. I’m excited, man.”

Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle Out Next Two Games

March 24th, 2022 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Head coach Rick Carlisle will miss the Pacers‘ upcoming road games at Memphis on Thursday and at Toronto on Sunday due to personal reasons, the team announced. Assistant coach Lloyd Pierce will serve as acting head coach in Carlisle’s stead.

As Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files observes, this is the second time that Carlisle has been away from the team this season. He contracted COVID-19 in December and missed four games, with Indiana going 2-2 with Pierce at the helm.

“I encouraged Lloyd to follow his instincts,” Carlisle said in December. “He’s an experienced head coach — and when you’re on the sidelines and you’re making the play calls and you’re calling the timeouts and things like that, there’s a feel element to it. And you can’t have that interrupted just because you work for the guy that’s not there.”

In other Pacers news, rookie Isaiah Jackson was unable to play the second half of Wednesday’s game against Sacramento due to a headache, according to James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star.

Jackson suffered a concussion last week and missed two games. Carlisle said he didn’t know whether Jackson’s headache was related to the concussion.

“I don’t know exactly what’s gonna happen,” Carlisle said, per Boyd. “Doctors felt it was best to keep him out of the game. … The hope is that this is not anything serious, but we’ll know more (Wednesday night) or (Thursday), and whenever we can let you know where things are at, we will.”

Jackson has been ruled out of Thursday’s game, Boyd tweets.

Pacers Notes: Anderson, Turner, McConnell, Jackson, Draft

March 17th, 2022 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Swingman Justin Anderson is eager to display his skills after receiving a 10-day contract from the Pacers on Thursday, James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star writes.

“I just want to be out on the court and show my impact, show what I can bring. I’ve been biting at this for a long time,” Anderson said. “Unfortunately, injuries have kind of had me in and out of the NBA, but that’s over and done with. I only have two tibias, two legs, and both of those have been operated on, and I’m back stronger than ever.”

Anderson was averaging 27.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 4.4 APG in 22 games with the G League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

We have more on the Pacers:

T.J. Warren was ruled out for the remainder of the season on Thursday due to his ongoing foot issues. Myles Turner (foot) and T.J. McConnell (wrist) probably won’t see the court for the remaining 12 games as well, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets. Turner has been out since mid-January, while McConnell hasn’t played since December 1.
Isaiah Jackson has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol and will not play Friday at Houston, Boyd writes in a separate story. Coach Rick Carlisle said the rookie big man suffered the injury during the team’s home loss to the Grizzlies on Tuesday when he was hit in the face with the ball.
With the Pacers headed for the lottery, Carlisle has kept an eye on potential draft prospects, Boyd tweets. “I’ve been watching stuff for the draft since January. … There’s a lot of really good players,” he said.

COVID-19 Updates: Powell, Kings, Pacers, Lopez, Springer, Pons

January 10th, 2022 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers wing Norman Powell entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

As our tracker shows, Powell is currently the only Portland player in the protocols. However, the Trail Blazers are also missing Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum due to injuries, so Powell’s absence means the team is without its three top scorers. Lillard, McCollum, and Powell are averaging a combined 63.2 points per game so far this season.

Here are more protocol-related updates from around the NBA:

The Kings added one big man – center Damian Jones – to the protocols on Sunday as another – forward/center Chimezie Metu – exited, per reports from James Ham of ESPN 1320 and Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter links).
Pacers swingman Torrey Craig and center Isaiah Jackson were back at practice on Sunday, signaling they’ve cleared the protocols, tweets James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. Indiana still has four players in the protocols.
Robin Lopez remained sidelined for Sunday’s game vs. Washington, but the Magic center was no longer listed in the protocols, having progressed to return to competition reconditioning (Twitter link via Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel).
Sixers rookie Jaden Springer has exited the protocols, but has been ruled out for Monday’s game in Houston due to a non-COVID illness, as Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays (via Twitter).
Grizzlies two-way player Yves Pons was placed in the health and safety protocols on Saturday, but was no longer listed in the protocols for Sunday’s game, suggesting he registered a false positive or inconclusive test (Twitter links).

Julius Randle, Three Pacers Enter COVID-19 Protocols

December 30th, 2021 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks power forward Julius Randle has entered the health and safety protocols and will miss Friday’s game vs. Oklahoma City, the team announced today (via Twitter). If Randle registered a confirmed positive COVID-19 test, he’ll remain sidelined for at least six days or until he can return two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

Randle logged 26 minutes in the Knicks’ win in Detroit on Wednesday night after playing over 37 minutes on Tuesday in Minnesota, so his teammates and recent opponents will likely be monitoring for symptoms of their own in the coming days.

Here are a few more COVID-related updates from around the league:

After placing Jeremy Lamb in the health and safety protocols on Wednesday, the Pacers have had three more players enter the protocols today, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Malcolm Brogdon, Chris Duarte, and Isaiah Jackson are joining Lamb. Indiana had avoided a COVID-19 outbreak so far this month, but it may be catching up to the team now.
Bucks forward Semi Ojeleye has entered the protocols, tweets Wojnarowski. Milwaukee had multiple players in the protocols earlier in the month, but Ojeleye is the team’s lone player affected for now.
Timberwolves forward Jarred Vanderbilt has exited the COVID-19 protocols and should be available on Friday vs. Utah, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Minnesota is down to just three players in the protocols, though Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell are two of those three.

Pacers Rumors: Simmons, Turner, Sabonis, Duarte, Jackson

December 14th, 2021 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers are considered the NBA team most likely to make a significant move on the trade market, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. However, Fischer says there’s a leaguewide skepticism that Indiana will embark on a full-fledged rebuild after hiring head coach Rick Carlisle to a four-year contract just months ago.

“Carlisle is not going to allow that to happen,” one assistant general manager told Bleacher Report. “They’re going to ‘middle build.’ They’re going to go with a sense of competing.”

As Fischer observes, a deal for 25-year-old star Ben Simmons would be the sort of big move the Pacers could make if they want to look toward the future while remaining competitive in the present. But none of Indiana’s top trade chips is the kind of star the Sixers would covet as the centerpiece as a Simmons deal. If the Pacers make a serious push for Simmons, they may have to loop in a third team, Fischer writes.

Here’s more on the Pacers from Fischer:

As Shams Charania reported on Monday, the expectation among rival executives is that the Pacers will move one of their standout big men – Myles Turner or Domantas Sabonis – but not both. Fischer says Indiana may ultimately make its decision based on which player commands a higher return, which suggests the team doesn’t strongly prefer one over the other.
Although Turner has been involved in trade rumors for years, the Pacers have always highly valued him, according to Fischer, who hears from sources that the club turned down a Pelicans offer that included the No. 4 pick in the 2019 draft. That pick was eventually sent to the Hawks, who drafted De’Andre Hunter.
Sabonis’ value around the NBA is mixed, but Fischer names the Trail Blazers as one team that may be interested. Fischer also mentions the Kings, pointing out that Carlisle thinks highly of Harrison Barnes, but a Monday report indicated Sacramento hasn’t pursued Sabonis or Turner at all this season.
Malcolm Brogdon can’t be traded this season after recently signing an extension. But besides Brogdon, rookies Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson are viewed by rival executives as the only Pacers players who are probably off-limits in trade talks. “Sabonis, Turner, (T.J.) Warren, (and Caris) LeVert all can be had at the right price,” another assistant GM told Fischer.
In other Pacers news, the team has assigned center Goga Bitadze to the G League for the first time this season, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. As Agness points out, Bitadze has been out of Indiana’s rotation for weeks and could use some reps with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

Pacers Open To Roster Shakeup, Intend To Be Active On Trade Market

December 7th, 2021 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

After getting off to a slow start this season, the Pacers have become receptive to the idea of pivoting to a rebuild and trading multiple veterans, sources tell Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz of The Athletic. According to The Athletic’s duo, the team intends to be “very active” prior to the February 10 trade deadline.

Charania and Kravitz identify swingman Caris LeVert and big men Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis as some of the Pacers’ potential trade candidates. All three players have generated “significant interest” from rival teams, per The Athletic’s sources. It’s unclear if Indiana would be willing to move both Turner and Sabonis or just one of the two, but Charania and Kravitz suggest a breakup of the two centers “now appears on the horizon.”

T.J. Warren, who is on an expiring contract, could also theoretically be a trade chip, but he continues to recover from a foot injury and has told team management that he’d like to remain in Indianapolis, sources tell Charania and Kravitz. Malcolm Brogdon is ineligible to be traded this year after recently signing an extension.

The Pacers would like to open up more playing time for rookies Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson. The team raved about Jackson during the preseason and Duarte has quickly become a favorite of head coach Rick Carlisle, according to The Athletic.

Pacers owner Herb Simon, who is 87 years old, has historically resisted the idea of rebuilding due to concerns that any extended period of losing could substantially hurt attendance in one of the NBA’s smaller markets. However, with the Pacers already second-last in the league in attendance this season, Simon – apparently recognizing that it can’t get much worse – has become more willing to get on board with a rebuild, per Charania and Kravitz.

The Athletic’s duo clarifies that the Pacers don’t intend to embark on a years-long “tankathon” akin to the Sixers’ “Process,” but president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard and the front office are prepared to make some major roster changes and look ahead to the future after starting the season with a 10-16 record (13th in the East).

It’s worth noting that Indiana has been hurt this season by poor showings in crunch-time minutes and perhaps isn’t as bad as that 10-16 record suggests. Despite missing Warren – their top scorer in the 2020 Orlando bubble – the Pacers have a positive point differential through their first 26 games. However, even with some better late-game luck and a healthy Warren, the current roster probably doesn’t have the upside to legitimately contend for a title.

Rival teams aren’t sure how soon the Pacers will be ready to make deals, according to Charania and Kravitz. The expectation is that the front office will exercise patience and wait for the best offers to materialize, so it’s possible Indiana won’t do anything major until closer to the deadline. Trade talks around the league figure to start picking up a little next Wednesday, when more than 100 players become newly trade-eligible.

Injury Notes: Hayes, Bertans, I. Jackson, Murray

November 22nd, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Second-year guard Killian Hayes is expected to miss at least the next two games as the Pistons‘ medical staff attempts to alleviate the soreness in his sprained left thumb and increase its mobility, the team announced today.

As Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes (via Twitter), the injury has been an ongoing problem for Hayes, who first sat out on November 5 due to the ailment. He had mostly been playing through the injury up until Sunday, but has aggravated it several times, Langlois adds.

Here are a few more health updates from around the NBA:

Wizards forward Davis Bertans and Rui Hachimura both practiced with the Capital City Go-Go in the G League today, per Chris Miller of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link). Bertans, who has been out for three weeks due to a left ankle sprain, will be a game-time decision tonight. Hachimura, who missed the start of the season for personal reasons, continues to ramp up his conditioning.
Pacers rookie big man Isaiah Jackson has been recalled from the G League and will be available on Monday vs. Chicago, writes James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. Jackson hasn’t played since October 27 due to a hyperextended left knee.
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said on Instagram Live over the weekend that he’s feeling “great” as he ramps up his pre-game workouts in his recovery from ACL surgery, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post. The hope is that Murray will be able to return before the end of the season.

Eastern Notes: Hunter, Reddish, Jackson, Strus, Hornets Front Office

November 15th, 2021 at 6:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With De’Andre Hunter sidelined a minimum of eight weeks after undergoing wrist surgery, the Hawks will naturally rely more on Kevin Huerter and Cam Reddish at the wing spot, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Coach Nate McMillan will likely shorten his rotation with Hunter out.

Kirschner also notes both Hunter and Reddish are eligible for rookie scale extensions before the start of next season and it will be challenging to keep both due to luxury tax bill concerns. The Hawks should consider flipping some of their young talent for an established second star, Kirschner adds.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Pacers rookie big man Isaiah Jackson was assigned to the G League Fort Wayne Mad Ants to continue rehabbing a knee injury, according to James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star. Jackson hyperextended his left knee against Toronto on October 27. “He’s doing better,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s going to … start doing some live practice stuff with the Mad Ants, and we’ll see. He may join us later in the week, but we’ll have to see.”
Heat reserve Max Strus missed five games due to a sprained left knee and has shown signs of rust since returning, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. He shot 3 of 10 from 3-point range and committed three turnovers in his first two games back. “I need to get conditioned,” Strus said. “I haven’t been able to run a lot. So I need to get my wind back. Things are just a little fast. So I just got to find my rhythm again. That will come with just playing, so I’ll be back in no time.”
The Hornets have made three front office promotions. Buzz Peterson was named senior VP of basketball operations and assistant GM, Larry Jordan was elevated to VP of player personnel and David Duquette was named an assistant GM, according to a team press release. All three have been with the organization for 10 or more years.