Central Notes: Nesmith, Walker, Terry, Pistons
Aaron Nesmith had to crawl off the court in Thursday’s loss at Phoenix, but the Pacers are hopeful that his injury won’t keep him out for long, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Nesmith was getting into a defensive stance in the third quarter when his left foot bent the wrong way (Twitter video link). He was helped to the locker room, and the team announced that he wouldn’t return due to knee soreness.
Nesmith was limping and appeared to have an ice bag on the knee as he left the arena, but he wasn’t using crutches, Dopirak observes. Coach Rick Carlisle was optimistic that it isn’t something severe like a ligament tear.
“Hoping that Aaron’s situation is not very serious,” he said. “At this point, it looks like we may have dodged a bullet in terms of something that is very serious. But he will miss some time.”
Losing Nesmith would add to a catastrophic run of injuries for the defending Eastern Conference champions that began with Tyrese Haliburton‘s Achilles tear in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Seven players were sidelined heading into Thursday’s game, which Indiana lost by 35 points to fall to 1-11.
Nesmith would be a major loss if he has to miss any significant time. Dopirak points out that he’s handling an increased offensive load for the short-handed team in addition to being its most versatile defender.
“It hurts,” Carlisle said. “He’s a top player on this team. It hurt us out there tonight and it’s going to affect us.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Another rough shooting night for Jarace Walker brought his field goal percentage down to 29.7% for the season, Dopirak tweets. The third-year power forward missed all 10 of his shots in Phoenix after going 1-of-8 in the previous game at Utah. He was removed from the Pacers‘ starting lineup on Tuesday after starting seven straight games.
- Bulls guard Dalen Terry isn’t getting the playing time he had hoped for, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Terry, who will be a restricted free agent after not receiving a rookie scale extension, has appeared in seven of the team’s 11 games, but is averaging just 5.9 minutes per night. “I feel like it’s been a situation I’ve been in my whole life, to be honest with you,” he said. “With this being a contract year and things not starting like you want them to, guys can go into a dark place. But I just look at it like, ‘Man, it’s just basketball, and we’re winning right now.’ So my feelings aren’t really the priority.”
- The 10-2 Pistons are off to the best start in the East, but they have a lengthy injury report for Friday’s NBA Cup game against Philadelphia, notes Hunter Patterson of the Athletic (Twitter links). Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart are all listed as questionable, while Ausar Thompson and Tobias Harris are out.
Pacers Notes: Turner, Furphy, Jackson, Nesmith, Walker
After predicting ahead of his return to Indiana that he’d hear “some cheers” and “some boos,” longtime Pacers center Myles Turner – now a member of the division rival Bucks – admitted following Monday’s game that he wasn’t able to easily shrug off the fact that the boos were far more prevalent.
“It was disheartening, man. It was frustrating,” Turner said of the reaction (Twitter video link via WISH-TV News). “You give 10 years of your life, your blood, your sweat, your tears. You take pay cuts. You survive trade rumors. You try to do everything the right way, and then sometimes stuff shakes out. It is cool. I take it on the chin.”
Turner, who was selected by the Pacers with the 11th overall pick in the 2015 draft, spent the first decade of his professional career in Indiana, making 616 regular season starts – and another 63 in the playoffs – during that time. After he reached free agency this past offseason, he felt he was low-balled by the Pacers and opted to accept a more lucrative offer from Milwaukee.
In his first game back in Indiana on Monday, Pacers fans booed during Turner’s pregame tribute video and continued to boo each time he touched the ball once the game started, notes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Turner and his new team got the last laugh, however, as Giannis Antetokounmpo made a game-winning shot at the buzzer and gave the fans in Indiana a thumbs down as he walked off the court (Twitter video link).
“He had 10 years of service with one franchise,” Antetokounmpo said of Turner after the game, per Akeem Glaspie of The Indianapolis Star. “To be able to come to Indiana as the all-time blocks leader, to be booed, he might not say it but it kind of hurt.
“We’re here to pick him up. Tell him how much we love him and respect him. We understand how much he gave to Indiana and how much he’s going to give to Milwaukee. He’s a great, great person; great character, great competitor. I played against him for 10 years. I think he gave everything he had; blood, sweat, tears, his body, many times on the line for Indiana. … You can boo the Bucks, I understand. But booing Myles Turner, just think about yourself, put yourself in that position.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Second-year Pacers guard Johnny Furphy, who missed four games early in the season due to left foot soreness, exited Monday’s game early due to a left ankle sprain, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. While head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters after the game that he didn’t have an update on Furphy’s status, the 20-year-old left the locker room on crutches, according to Dopirak.
- Furphy wasn’t the only Pacer to leave Monday’s game early due to an injury. Quenton Jackson, who is on a two-way contract, checked out in the third quarter due to right hamstring tightness. While he was initially listed as questionable to return, Jackson remained out for the rest of the night, per Dopirak. The fourth-year point guard had enjoyed a career night in Saturday’s win over Golden State, with 25 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, and three steals.
- Discussing the two latest injuries affecting the banged-up Pacers, star forward Pascal Siakam referred to it as “almost laughable” how many health issues the team has had to deal with so far this season, according to Dopirak (subscription required). “As bad as it’s getting I know there’s going to be another side of it and we’re going to come out of it,” Siakam said. “I’m just wired that way in a positive manner. I’m just going to continue to work and scratch and claw and we’re gonna find a way.”
- Aaron Nesmith, who is averaging more than five field goal attempts more than his previous career high, and Jarace Walker, whose shot attempts are up from 4.8 per game last year to 12.6 this season, are among the players who have been asked to take on more offensive responsibilities due to Indiana’s injury absences. “They’ve had to figure things out on the fly,” head coach Rick Carlisle said, per Dopirak. “We have a lot of moving parts here. … We have a lot of guys who are playing unusual positions, and so there’s adjustments that are happening there. Everybody’s spirit is good about it and we just have to keep working at it. Both Aaron and Jarace are doing a good job and they’re both growing through this.”
Pacers Exercise 2026/27 Options On Walker, Sheppard
The Pacers have exercised their 2026/27 options on the contracts of Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard, according to a team press release.
Walker’s fourth-year option carries a cap hit of $8,478,542, while Sheppard’s cap hit on his fourth year will be $5,031,669. Walker was the eighth pick of the 2023 draft, while Sheppard was chosen at No. 26.
The team had until the end of the month to exercise those options.
Walker appeared in 75 regular season games last season (five starts) and averaged 6.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 15.8 minutes. Sheppard appeared in 63 games (nine starts) and averaged 5.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 19.5 minutes per game. He also appeared in 21 postseason contests.
Both players are expected to be key bench contributors once again this season.
Pacers Notes: Wright, Walker, Guy, G League Trade
Although point guard Delon Wright isn’t guaranteed a regular season roster spot with the Pacers, he has a couple factors working in his favor, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
For one, while the Pacers are already carrying 15 players on standard contracts, one of those 15 is journeyman center Tony Bradley, whose salary for 2025/26 is non-guaranteed. As Dopirak observes, Bradley would be Indiana’s fourth center and may not be a necessary piece on this roster unless the team has concerns about one or both of Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman, who are returning from Achilles tears.
Wright has also played for Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle before — Carlisle was the head coach in Dallas when the veteran guard played a regular role off the bench for the Mavericks in 2019/20.
“Delon’s a good NBA player,” Carlisle said earlier this week. “He played for us in Dallas. He’s had good stints in a lot of places. … There’s an opportunity there for him. He seems to be in a good place physically and mentally. I think our style suits his abilities quite well.”
Competing for a roster spot in training camp is a new experience for Wright, who has appeared in 548 regular season games and another 47 playoff contests since entering the NBA as the 20th overall pick in the 2015 draft.
“I’ve never actually been in this situation,” Wright said. “I’ve been around the league 11 years now. They know what I do. They brought me here for a reason. If I am on the team, good. If not, I know I’ll give it my all. A lot of it is out of my control.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Jarace Walker came off the board eighth overall in the 2023 draft, but has played a relatively limited role at the NBA level thus far, averaging 14.1 minutes per night in 108 total appearances. Walker, who says he has learned a lot from Pascal Siakam, is extra motivated to make an impact after not getting to play in the NBA Finals due to a sprained ankle. The third-year forward has earned praise from Carlisle for his “tremendous” conditioning and hard work in camp. “It’s difficult being a top-10 pick,” Carlisle said, according to Dopirak (subscription required). “You feel like you’re supposed to go in there and be an impact guy. In our situation, his position was pretty crowded, so it took time. But he’s learned and he’s worked extremely hard and he’s positioned himself to be a major factor on this team.”
- Given that he was supposed to work as an assistant coach at the University of Nevada this season, Kyle Guy is an unlikely addition to the Pacers’ preseason roster. However, he tells Dopirak (subscription required) that he jumped at the opportunity when he got an Exhibit 10 offer from Indiana and is looking forward to playing for the team’s G League affiliate, the Noblesville Boom, while holding out hope that he can turn the audition into something more. “The goal is to make the (Pacers’) roster,” Guy said. “I’m not an idiot. I don’t know if that’s in the cards right now, but I think after I get my feet under me and play for the Boom and help establish a winning culture and a fun atmosphere there that I could make those things happen down the road.”
- Speaking of the Boom, Indiana’s NBAGL affiliate made a trade on Thursday, acquiring forward Ray Spalding‘s returning rights from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (the Rockets‘ affiliate) in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. That could point to Spalding signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Pacers later in camp to ensure he gets a bonus for playing for Noblesville this season.
Scotto’s Latest: Thunder, Pacers, Kings, Barrett, Rockets, Wolves, KD
Their seasons ended less than 24 hours ago, but the Thunder and Pacers will have significant roster decisions to make in the coming days, and executives around the NBA are keeping an eye on both teams to see how they’ll handle them, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
The Thunder have the ability to essentially run it back with their same roster, since 13 of their players are on guaranteed deals for next season, while the team holds cost-effective options on the other two. However, Oklahoma City also has multiple first-round picks at No. 15 and No. 24 and could be facing a roster crunch.
According to Scotto, rival executives believe the Thunder may either trade the No. 24 pick for a future first-rounder or use it to select a potential draft-and-stash prospect like Hugo Gonzalez or Noah Penda. Execs also view former lottery pick Ousmane Dieng as a possible trade candidate as he enters the final year of his rookie scale contract, Scotto notes.
Meanwhile, with Tyrese Haliburton potentially sidelined for all of the 2025/26 season after tearing his Achilles, people in league circles are wondering if the Pacers and team owner Herb Simon are still prepared to go into luxury-tax territory in 2025/26 to re-sign Myles Turner and keep their roster intact, says Scotto. There’s an expectation that rivals will inquire this summer on the trade availability of role players like Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and Jarace Walker, Scotto adds.
Here’s more from Scotto:
- Although a Sacramento Bee report over the weekend indicated that the Kings haven’t yet engaged in trade discussions about Malik Monk, Scotto hears from sources that the team has gauged the market on both Monk and Devin Carter as it seeks a potential first-round pick and a point guard upgrade. Sacramento was unwilling to move Carter when the club talked to the Nets about Cameron Johnson prior to the trade deadline, Scotto writes, but Scott Perry has replaced Monte McNair as the Kings’ head of basketball operations since then and may not be as attached to last year’s No. 13 overall pick.
- According to Scotto, the Raptors have continued to gauge the trade market for forward RJ Barrett. The former No. 3 overall pick hasn’t come off the bench since his rookie year in 2019/20, but could be the odd man out of Toronto’s starting five with Brandon Ingram set to make his Raptors debut this fall.
- Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, who spent a season with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn, was in favor of the Celtics trading for Durant during his time in Boston and advocated for Houston to acquire the star forward this summer, per Scotto. In addition to reuniting with Udoka, Durant will be teaming up again with friend and fellow Texas alum Royal Ivey — the Rockets assistant interviewed for the Suns‘ head coaching vacancy and turned down interest from the Grizzlies and Spurs for assistant coaching positions, Scotto reports.
- In addition to being concerned about Durant’s lack of enthusiasm for Minnesota, the Timberwolves didn’t want to lose Rudy Gobert, a Suns target in trade talks, which is why the Wolves didn’t end up beating Houston’s offer for the 15-time All-Star, Scotto explains. Giving up Gobert and potentially having Durant play alongside Julius Randle in their frontcourt wasn’t considered an “ideal pairing defensively” for the Wolves, Scotto writes.
Pacers’ Jarace Walker Expected To Miss Rest Of Finals
Pacers reserve forward Jarace Walker likely won’t return to action during the NBA Finals, head coach Rick Carlisle said on Sunday, per Tony East of ClutchPoints (Twitter link). Walker has missed the entire series so far with a sprained right ankle.
“He is doing better,” Carlisle said. “He is off crutches and he is walking with a slight limp now. So it’s very unlikely that he’ll be able to play in this series. But he is doing better. It would be great if he was available because I do think he would help us.”
The 6’8″ forward enjoyed an expanded bench role on Indiana during his second pro regular season out of Houston. In 75 healthy games, Walker averaged 6.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 1.5 APG in 15.8 MPG. He also notched shooting splits of .472/.405/.667. Carlisle tightened his rotation in the playoffs, reducing Walker’s minutes to 9.8 MPG.
Without Walker available, Obi Toppin has become an even more essential frontcourt bench contributor for Indiana in the series, taking on a larger role.
Indiana and the Thunder are currently knotted up, 2-2, in the ongoing series. A pivotal Game 5 is slated for Monday night in Oklahoma City. The Pacers are appearing in their first NBA Finals since 2000 — more than three years before the 21-year-old Walker was even born.
Pacers Notes: Mathurin, Turner, McConnell, Haliburton
After tearing his labrum and missing the end of last season, Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin got a calendar to count the days until he could return to the floor, The Athletic’s Shakeia Taylor writes.
Fast-forward a year, and Mathurin delivered a historic performance for the Pacers in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, notching 27 points in 22 minutes. His scoring output was the most for a reserve in the Finals since Jason Terry in 2011, Taylor notes.
“Every day he would come in and take one off, take one off,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “He was counting the days down to being cleared sometime in August. Then be able to begin training camp, begin five-on-five with our guys in September and then be in training camp, really, with his eyes firmly set on an opportunity in the playoffs. He’s put in a lot of work to be ready for these moments, and tonight he was an absolute major factor.”
Mathurin attributed his eager and stay-ready mentality to watching and learning from his teammates and coaches during the playoffs last spring.
“I think as much as I was out last year, not being able to play, I learned a lot,” Mathurin said. “Just being on the bench and being next to the coaches who were able to run me through the game and stuff like that. It was an unfortunate situation, but I was fortunate enough to learn a lot and be ready for this year.”
We have more from the Pacers:
- Myles Turner played through an illness in Game 3, Joel A. Erickson of IndyStar writes. He battled cold-like symptoms during the game, but still wound up making the defensive play of the game when he blocked Chet Holmgren to maintain the team’s late lead. “Well, Myles is under the weather,” Carlisle said. “He may not even be with us tomorrow. He just hasn’t been feeling well the last couple of days. It was affecting his wind. He won’t bring it up, but I think it’s just appropriate to mention that he’s working through something.” According to IndyStar’s Dustin Dopirak, Turner is not on the injury report for Game 4, but Jarace Walker (right ankle sprain) has been ruled out for the fourth straight game.
- Alongside Mathurin, the Pacers got significant contributions off the bench from T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin in their Game 3 win, per The Athletic’s David Aldridge. McConnell recorded 10 points, five assists and five steals. “I think his energy is unbelievable,” Tyrese Haliburton said. “You guys know he’s definitely a crowd favorite. I joke with him, I call him the Great White Hope. He does a great job of bringing energy in this building. And I think people feed off that. And he had a couple of unbelievable steals.”
- Haliburton shut down outside noise and delivered a tremendous performance in Game 3, Dopirak writes. He recorded 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds in the win. “I think the commentary is always going to be what it is, you know?” Haliburton said. “Most of the time, the talking heads on the major platforms, I couldn’t care less. Honestly, like what do they really know about basketball?“
Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Game 3, Turner
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton walked out of his post-game press conference on Sunday with a noticeable limp, but he took part in practice on Tuesday and wasn’t limited at all, tweets Jamal Collier of ESPN. Speaking to the media after practice, Haliburton suggested he has no major health concerns.
“I’m fine. Really just a lower leg thing. I’ll leave it at that,” Haliburton said, per Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link). “I don’t think there’s anything more to elaborate. I feel fine and I’ll be ready to go for Game 3.”
Haliburton has made 50% of his shots from the field through two games against Oklahoma City and knocked down a game-winner in Game 1, but has been limited to a relatively modest 15.5 points on 13.0 attempts per night and hasn’t gone to the free throw line at all. He has also turned the ball over eight times in two games against Oklahoma City’s top-ranked defense after averaging 1.9 turnovers per game in the first three rounds of the playoffs.
Here’s more on Haliburton and the Pacers:
- Haliburton had just three points at the half in Game 2 after scoring six first-half points in Game 1. He said on Sunday night that he and the Pacers need to figure out how to get off to faster starts going forward. “They got a lot of different guys who can guard the ball, fly around,” he said, according to Collier. “… I just got to figure out how to be better earlier in games. Kudos to them, they’re a great defensive team. But [I will] watch the film, see where I can get better.”
- Center Myles Turner is optimistic about Indiana’s ability to further unlock Haliburton, even against a tough Thunder defense, per Collier. “With Tyrese, there’s plenty of formulas to get him going,” Turner said. “There are things we went over in our game plan that we didn’t execute well enough (in Game 2). We’ll get them in the paint. We have been one of the better teams scoring in the paint all year and we have to establish that early. We only had four or six points in the paint in the first half, and that’s not Pacers basketball.”
- James Boyd of The Athletic takes a look at the ups and downs that Haliburton has experienced on and off the court since being traded from Sacramento to Indiana and considers what it would mean for him and the city if the Pacers can win a title this year.
- In the wake of reports linking multiple Eastern Conference rivals to Turner, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) examines what it might cost the Pacers to re-sign their starting center in free agency this summer, as well as the ripple effect it might have on upcoming decisions on players like Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker. Although the Pacers seem intent on keeping as much of their rotation together as possible going forward, reserve forward Obi Toppin may be viewed as a “luxury item” if the team brings back Turner on a deal in the range of $30MM per year and wants to shed a bit of long-term salary, Dopirak notes.
Pacers Notes: Nesmith, Haliburton, Bradley, Walker
Aaron Nesmith went to the NBA Finals in 2022, but in a much smaller role than he’ll have this year, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Nesmith was in his second NBA season when Boston faced Golden State three years ago, and he mostly made limited appearances in the playoffs. His career didn’t take off until he was traded to Indiana shortly after that series ended.
Speaking at Finals media day on Wednesday, Nesmith said the Pacers got a lesson in how to handle an extended playoff run after being ousted in the conference finals last season.
“We just learned how hard it is to get here and not taking being in this position for granted,” he said. “Understanding most guys don’t play this long into the season, into the year. Just having our bodies right, our legs underneath us. I think it’s very helpful.”
Nesmith played a huge role in helping Indiana reach the Finals for the first time in 25 years. He’s averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 16 playoff games while shooting 50% from three-point range. He was the hero of the Game 1 victory against New York, scoring 20 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter.
Nesmith acknowledges that his team is a huge underdog against Oklahoma City, but he believes the key to an upset will be dictating the style of play.
“Continue to play Pacers basketball,” he said. “That’s what got us here. I think that’s what’s going to help us succeed in the Finals. That’s what we’re going to have to do.”
There’s more on the Pacers:
- Tyrese Haliburton gets inspired when he hears people dismiss his team, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The Pacers weren’t favored to beat Cleveland or New York, but have compiled a 12-4 record in the playoffs, the same as the Thunder. “I’ll continue to tell you guys in certain moments that it doesn’t matter what people say, but it matters — and I enjoy it,” Haliburton said. “I think the greats try to find external motivation as much as they can and that’s something that’s always worked for me.”
- Haliburton shared details of the team’s flight to Oklahoma City, which had to be diverted due to weather and wound up arriving more than three hours late, per Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (subscription required). “We took off, and I slept the whole plane ride, which I don’t normally do,” Haliburton said. “We landed, I was ready to get up. They said we were in Tulsa. We sat there for another hour. Then took off again. Felt like we were in the air for another hour and a half. … So, like a five-hour travel day. We might as well travel to Portland.”
- Backup center Tony Bradley has some familiarity with his Finals opponent after being sent to Oklahoma City as part of a three-team deal at the 2021 trade deadline. Bradley, who appeared in 22 games during his time with the Thunder, told Clemente Almanza of OKC Thunder Wire that he enjoyed watching Shai Gilgeous-Alexander develop into a star. “Honestly, he’s the same player. When I was here, he was just getting more recognition,” Bradley said. “Of course, he’s improved since I’ve been with him, but I’ve seen the potential was there.”
- As expected, Jarace Walker isn’t available for Game 1 of the NBA Finals after spraining his right ankle in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Bradley, who has been dealing with a left hip flexor strain, is active.
Pacers’ Carlisle: Walker To Miss Multiple Games With Ankle Injury
Pacers forward Jarace Walker is expected to miss at least the first two games of the NBA Finals and possibly more than that, head coach Rick Carlisle said during a Monday morning appearance on 107.5 The Fan in Indiana (YouTube link; hat tip to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star).
Walker sustained a right ankle injury – diagnosed as a sprain – during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday and was using crutches in the locker room after the game.
“He’s going to be out for a while,” Carlisle said today. “I don’t know how long. He certainly will not play in the first two games of the Finals. He was still on crutches (on Sunday). I’m certain he’ll be listed as out for those two initial games.”
The Pacers’ head coach went on to point out that the Finals are “stretched out over a pretty significant period of time,” which could give the second-year forward a chance to recover before the series is over, though Carlisle would offer no guarantees.
The No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 draft, Walker was in and out of Indiana’s rotation this season, averaging 6.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 15.9 minutes per game across 75 outings (five starts).
Walker’s role has remained inconsistent in the playoffs — he appeared in all five first-round games against Milwaukee and logged double-digit minutes in four of them, but averaged just 6.0 MPG in round two vs. Cleveland and didn’t see any action in the first four games of the conference finals against New York. The 21-year-old had six points in 13 minutes in Game 5 and played seven minutes in Game 6 before injuring his ankle.
While Walker’s absence likely won’t have a major impact on Carlisle’s rotation decisions, the Pacers’ coach has shown a tendency to dig deep on his bench if necessary, turning to third-string center Tony Bradley repeatedly during the conference finals. He’ll have one fewer option available to him while Walker recovers.