Tyrese Haliburton Rumors

Central Notes: Pistons Roster, Pistons Outlook, Ball, Haliburton

July 26th, 2024 at 10:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have an open roster spot but that doesn’t mean they will fill it anytime soon, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press writes. They could sign one of the better remaining free agents on the market — Tyus Jones, Markelle Fultz, Luke Kennard or Isaac Okoro — but they could just leave the spot open to facilitate a trade where they could acquire more future assets.

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The Pistons in the play-in tournament next season? It’s not as far fetched as that might sound, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic. Most of the other Eastern Conference teams who were in the play-in or lottery last season have not improved their rosters, with the possible exception of Miami. The Pistons, meanwhile, have added several solid veteran rotation players who will help them in the short run.
Lonzo Ball confirmed that his “first real test” will be next month when he participates in 5-on-5 scrimmages, he said on ‘The WAE Show’ (hat tip to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago). The Bulls guard hasn’t played since Jan. 14, 2022 due to knee issues. Ball will make $21.4MM in the final year of his contract next season.
In a GQ profile, Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton told Andrew Greif that his team is being overlooked as a major contender in the East. “All I keep seeing is, ‘Who’s going to win the East? Boston, Milwaukee, New York, or Philly?’” Haliburton said. “It’s like, what are we doing [not being included]? But again, we’re Indiana, people didn’t even know, people didn’t even watch us play until the playoffs. People didn’t watch us play until the second round. But again, that respect comes with winning. So if we want to gain that respect, we just got to keep having success as a team. And it’s coming.”

Olympics Notes: Durant, Brown, Edwards, Haliburton, LeBron

July 13th, 2024 at 7:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant remains sidelined with a calf strain, but Team USA is optimistic that he’ll be ready in time for the Olympics, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Durant missed practice again today in Abu Dhabi and isn’t expected to play in Monday’s exhibition contest against Australia. He also sat out Wednesday’s game against Canada in Las Vegas.

“I know there’s still a couple of weeks before we have to make a decision roster-wise,” coach Steve Kerr said. “So we’re just taking it day by day.”

The U.S. squad has already made one roster move, selecting Derrick White to replace Kawhi Leonard, who has been troubled by inflammation in his right knee since late in the regular season. White is headed to the United Arab Emirates and is expected to participate in his first practice on Sunday, Windhorst adds.

The team doesn’t seem to have a backup plan in place if Durant is unable to play.

“It’s not something we’ve even discussed at this point because we feel good that he is going to be OK,” Kerr said.

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Jaylen Brown didn’t intend any disrespect toward White when he sent out a series of tweets expressing disappointment that he wasn’t considered to replace Leonard, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Brown was upset that he wasn’t a priority after helping the Celtics post the league’s best record and being named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals. Brown also suggested that politics may be involved, as Nike is sponsoring the Olympic team and Brown has been critical of the company in the past, particularly after it dropped Kyrie Irving.
First-time Olympians Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton are the youngest players on a veteran squad and will likely be part of the future for Team USA, notes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. The two guards are the only members of last year’s World Cup team that were invited to be part of the Olympics. “We got one common goal in mind and that’s to not come up short this year,” Edwards said. “We the young’uns. We might be in this thing a few years to come. That’s my brother.”
In an interview with Drew Weisholtz of The Today Show, LeBron James confirmed that he won’t be playing in the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. James, 39, already has two Olympic golds and wants to win one more for his country before he retires. “At this point in my career, I still, I have a lot to give,” he said, “and Team USA has given a lot to me, so I feel like it’s an opportunity for me to give back.”

Leonard, Haliburton, Embiid Expected To Be Ready For Team USA

June 27th, 2024 at 11:54am CST by Arthur Hill

Head coach Steve Kerr expects a fully healthy roster when Team USA begins training for the Olympics next week in Las Vegas, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. That means Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and Sixers center Joel Embiid, who were all sidelined with injuries late in the season or during the playoffs, are likely to participate.

Right knee inflammation prevented Leonard from playing in the final eight games of the regular season and limited him to two playoff games as L.A. lost to Dallas in the first round. Kerr cautioned that there could still be a late surprise, but staff members have been in frequent contact with Leonard and they expect him to be ready for camp. Sources tell Vardon that there’s no new structural damage to Leonard’s knee, and the inflammation is the result of previous surgeries.

Haliburton suffered a strained left hamstring in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals and wasn’t able to return as Indiana was swept by Boston. He was concerned about his availability for the Olympics when the injury occurred, but Vardon states that the Pacers training staff always believed he would be ready in time.

Embiid missed more than two months after meniscus surgery on his left knee in late January. He was back in time for the playoffs, but appeared to be affected by the knee during the first-round series with New York. He also experienced a mild case of Bell’s palsy, which causes weakness or paralysis in the facial muscles.

Training camp for team USA will open July 6, followed by an exhibition game against Canada four days later in Las Vegas. The team will travel to Abu Dhabi and London for more exhibition contests before heading to Paris.

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to see limited action when Greece takes on the Bahamas this afternoon, tweets Harris Stavrou of SPORT24. A left calf strain forced Antetokounmpo to miss all of Milwaukee’s first-round series with Indiana. Greece has to advance through an Olympic qualifying tournament next week to earn a spot in the Summer Games.

And-Ones: White, Leonard, Embiid, Haliburton, 2024 Free Agency, More

June 15th, 2024 at 11:25am CST by Tristan Tucker

Derrick White is a real contender to replace Kawhi Leonard on Team USA for this year’s Paris Olympics if Leonard is unable to suit up, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter video link via Clutch Points’ Tomer Azarly).

White’s emerged as one of the league’s best defensive players over the past few seasons and he’s been a large part of Boston’s championship aspirations. This season, White averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steal per game in the regular season while being named to the All-Defensive Second Team. Through 18 playoff games, White is averaging 16.9 PPG.

Leonard was named to the 12-man Olympic roster but battled through knee inflammation toward the end of this season, which kept him out of the Clippers’ final three playoff games. When healthy, Leonard averaged 23.7 points and 6.1 rebounds in 68 games for the Clippers this season.

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Sixers superstar center Joel Embiid was hobbled through the playoffs and missed more than half the regular season but he’s still on track to suit up for Team USA starting next month, according to ESPN. “I’m doing great. Just getting ready for the Olympics,” Embiid said on ABC on Friday night. “It’s going to be big for me because I’ve been dreaming about it since I was a kid.” Embiid chose to play for the United States over France and Cameroon.
Like Embiid, Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton expects to be healthy by the time he suits up for the U.S., according to IndyStar’s Dustin Dopirak. “The hamstring is good,” Haliburton said. “… Today I ran for the first time full speed. I got another three weeks before USA. I feel good. I’m really excited to get out there and do that.” Haliburton missed 10 games in January with his hamstring injury, then re-injured it during the Eastern Conference finals.
The NBA offseason has begun for 28 teams, and with no more than three games left in the season, we’re starting to have a clearer idea of what decisions teams will be making this summer. Bobby Marks of ESPN (ESPN+ link) breaks down some of these key decisions and potential contract details in a 2024 free agency/offseason primer. Some of the most important decisions impacting the course of the offseason include what the Hawks do at No. 1 overall in the draft, whether or not Donovan Mitchell extends with the Cavaliers and what LeBron James‘ next contract looks like.
Several teams are flush with cap space this offseason, including the Sixers — a team with two stars under contract that now has ample spending power. In an article predicting the biggest moves of the 2024 offseason, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report speculates that Philadelphia winds up signing Paul George to a max contract. In addition, Pincus predicts Klay Thompson, Malik Monk and Tobias Harris head to Orlando and Isaiah Hartenstein signs with Oklahoma City.

Central Notes: Eversley, Bulls, Pacers, Pistons

June 5th, 2024 at 7:58am CST by Luke Adams

Bulls general manager Marc Eversley, who reportedly received consideration from Detroit and Charlotte when those teams sought new heads of basketball operations earlier this year, recently signed a new three-year contract with Chicago that will begin in July, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.

Eversley, who was hired by the Bulls in 2020, has served since then as the front office’s No. 2 executive under head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas.

The Athletic’s report on Eversley’s contract situation comes within a larger look at some key questions facing the Bulls this offseason, as Mayberry considers what the future holds for DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball, among others. Mayberry speculates that if the Bulls want to do a short-term deal for DeRozan, they may have to offer upwards of $40MM annually; he also suggests that team officials seem less optimistic than Ball about his ability to be ready to go on opening night in 2024/25.

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This year’s Pacers have been likened by some to the 2021 Hawks, who unexpectedly made the Eastern Conference finals but haven’t won a playoff series since then, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. However, Tyrese Haliburton believes the 2010-14 Pacers (who won five total playoff series and made the Eastern Conference finals twice) are a better reference point for Indiana’s current team, adding that he and his teammates will be fueled by the skepticism about their staying power. “We’re a group of guys that are really motivated by negativity, motivated by being doubted,” Haliburton said. “That’s how a lot of us guys are motivated. I’m really excited to go into this next year with, ‘The Pacers made the Eastern Conference finals. Can they do it again? They probably can’t. They’re this, they’re that.’ That’s exciting for our group.”
Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) poses five crucial questions for new Pistons president Trajan Langdon to consider, including whether the Cade Cunningham/Jaden Ivey backcourt duo can work long-term, whether Jalen Duren is a franchise center, and whether this offseason is the right time to take a big swing.
James L. Edwards III of The Athletic takes a look at Langdon’s draft history as the Pelicans’ general manager to get a sense of what sort of player the Pistons might target at No. 5. In Edwards’ view, a “long, rangy” wing could be Detroit’s preference, with Matas Buzelis among the prospects who could be a fit in at No. 5.

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Title Contention, Siakam

May 28th, 2024 at 6:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

If Tyrese Haliburton was given the choice of playing in Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, he would have suited up. However, the Pacers star isn’t upset with the team over its decision to hold him out as the Celtics completed a sweep, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star.

Haliburton suffered a hamstring injury in Game 2. He could barely walk after the contest.

“There was obviously an organization-wide meeting with our front office, with agents, with everybody,” he said. “They did what their job is, to protect me from myself and wouldn’t allow me play Game 3. I understand the long-term implications of the chances of re-hurting my hamstring. I’m just very thankful for this organization from protecting me from myself.”

Haliburton said this hamstring strain was different from the one he suffered during the winter, which caused him to miss 10 games.

“It’s a whole new thing,” Haliburton said. “Same hamstring. Just a different spot. It’s definitely frustrating. Anyone who watched me play understood that I was never really 100% after the first time dealing with that. But I wanted to be on the floor. I wanted to play. The 65-game rule (to qualify for postseason awards) was obviously a thing, but I wanted to play. I wanted to play basketball.”

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Haliburton says he’ll hang around Indianapolis and rehab the injury to get ready for the Paris Olympics, Dopirak adds. “I have no concern,” Haliburton said of the injury potentially affecting his Olympic status. “Basically, I have six weeks until I have to report to camp. I’ll be in Indy for the majority of my treatment and rehab. Six weeks is a pretty long time. I didn’t have that ever during the year with the previous injury, so there’s no concern. The organization will be sending medical staff with me the whole time. I don’t really have concern.”
Despite getting swept, they are closer to being championship contenders than some experts may believe, according to Seerat Sohi of The Ringer. They will have the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception to acquire another impact rotation player, plus plenty of draft capital along with a relatively young roster than will continue to develop. The Athletic’s Eric Nehm expresses a similar view, noting the Pacers were without Bennedict Mathurin during the postseason due to shoulder surgery and that seven of their top eight players in minutes played could be back next season.
The Pacers’ biggest priority this offseason will be re-signing Pascal Siakam and coach Rick Carlisle says it’s essential that the franchise retains the veteran power forward, Dopirak relays. “The first very important step is to begin recruiting Pascal Siakam in earnest,” Carlisle said. “That will start today with exit meetings. He’s a great player. He was tremendous for us. The acquisition of him in late January really was a key enabler for us to not only make the playoffs but be able to advance in the playoffs. That’s something you simply cannot take for granted.” The Athletic’s Shams Charania stated on FanDuel’s Run It Back program (video link) that the Pacers are prepared to offer Siakam a max contract and “there’s mutual interest in getting a deal done.”

Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Out For Game 4

May 27th, 2024 at 5:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton won’t play in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight against the Celtics, Joe Vardon of The Athletic tweets. Haliburton also missed Game 3 on Saturday due to a left hamstring strain.

Indiana, which is facing elimination, nearly won Game 3 without its All-Star point guard until Boston staged a fourth-quarter rally. Andrew Nembhard stepped up his production with 32 points but Ben Sheppard, who was inserted into the starting lineup, was held scoreless in 26 minutes.

Haliburton suffered the injury during the 126-110 Game 2 loss in Boston. He had just 10 points and eight assists in that contest after a 25-point, 10-assist outing in Game 1.

He underwent an MRI on Saturday, and the risk of doing further damage with his team facing long odds of a comeback outweighs trying to push through it. He also dealt with a hamstring strain during the regular season. Haliburton, a third-team All-NBA selection, has averaged 18.7 PPG and 8.2 APG in the playoffs.

The Celtics have announced that Jrue Holiday and Luke Kornet, who were on Sunday’s injury report, are available, Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets. Kristaps Porzingis remains out.

Pacers Notes: Game 4, Haliburton, Nembhard, McConnell

May 27th, 2024 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers can’t stand the thought of watching another team celebrate an Eastern Conference title on their home court, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. That will add to Indiana’s motivation for Monday’s game against the Celtics in the face of a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 deficit. Players and coaches understand they face long odds to win the series, but they’re focused on taking Game 4 to give themselves a chance.

“The important thing for us is to learn, to be resilient and stay in this fight and find a way to extend the series,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We want to keep playing. We want to get back on that plane and go back to Boston.”

Even though Boston has won the first three games, it hasn’t been a one-sided series so far. Two critical turnovers late in Game 1 cost the Pacers a chance to win the series opener, and they led by eight points with 2:38 remaining in Game 3 before letting it slip away.

“There are a lot of correctable things that we’ve got to get better,” Carlisle said. “There are some mistakes defensively that are fixable and some things offensively that we have to do better. We did a lot of things very very well. We led for a great majority of the game. There certainly are positives. So we always show our guys things that need to be corrected but also always show our guys the things we do well and that we need to continue to do well.”

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Despite a weekend report that Tyrese Haliburton may miss the rest of the series due to an injured left hamstring, no decision has been announced on his status for tonight. Carlisle refused to provide an update on Haliburton when meeting with reporters on Sunday, Dopirak adds, but he said he’s comfortable with T.J. McConnell or Andrew Nembhard running the offense. “(Nembhard’s) played plenty of point guard for us,” Carlisle said. “There have been stretches when Ty’s been unable to play both last year and this year. He has experience there. Guys who put the work in and are prepared tend to have more confidence because they’ve done the work. He’s one of those guys, and our team really as a group, we have really conscientious guys who are great workers who love to compete.”
The Suns inquired about McConnell during the season, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, but the Pacers weren’t – and aren’t – interested in moving their backup point guard. McConnell is a valuable member of Indiana’s bench, and he has one year left on a team-friendly contract that will pay him $9.3MM next season. “He’s one of the heartbeats of that team,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “He just makes winning plays. He’s really good at the end of quarters, which is a way that teams can keep momentum, start momentum, chip away at momentum.”
Nembhard sparked the Pacers’ offense with 32 points and nine assists in Game 3, but he committed a costly turnover when Jrue Holiday took the ball from him with just under 10 seconds remaining (video link). Holiday slipped on the play, notes Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe, but he was able to recover in time to poke the ball out of Nembhard’s hands. “I tried to get a shot up and he got in front of me. I lost the ball, slipped, turnover,” Nembhard said.

Woj: Haliburton’s Status In Doubt For Rest Of Series

May 26th, 2024 at 4:55pm CST by Rory Maher

4:55pm: Haliburton is listed as questionable for Game 4, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star tweets.

11:06am: The Pacers find themselves in a 3-0 hole in the Eastern Conference finals after dropping Saturday’s Game 3 in Indiana. The Pacers led for most of the game, but Boston used a late run — including a couple stupendous plays from Jrue Holiday — to secure the victory.

Before the game, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on NBA Countdown that Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who missed Game 3 with a left hamstring injury, could miss the rest of the series (Twitter video link).

“The Pacers are going to err on the side of caution with this left hamstring injury, and for that reason, you may have seen Tyrese Haliburton for the last time in this series,” Wojnarowski said.

Haliburton missed 10 games earlier in the season with a left hamstring strain, which is one reason why Indiana is wary of the All-NBA point guard returning too soon, according to Wojnarowski, who noted the 24-year-old is also on the U.S. Olympic team.

“Certainly, they’re going to reassess this on Monday ahead of Game 4, but I think there’s real doubt that Tyrese Haliburton will be back in Game 4 — and perhaps even again in this series — as much as he would love to rejoin this Indiana team and try and give them a chance down 2-0 versus Boston,” Wojnarowski concluded (hat tip to Jordan Daly of NBC Sports Boston).

The Pacers showed last night that they can’t be discounted merely because their best player is out. Indiana went 7-6 without the Haliburton during the regular season.

Still, no team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit, and the Pacers were already underdogs against the East’s No. 1 seed. Monday’s Game 4 tips off at 7:00 pm CT.

Pacers Notes: Nembhard, McConnell, Carlisle, Haliburton

May 26th, 2024 at 1:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pacers came just one play short of besting the Celtics in Game 3 of their ongoing Eastern Conference Finals series despite playing without All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton. Second-year guard Andrew Nembhard played a significant role in the team’s competitive showing, writes Kyle Neddenriep of The Indianapolis Star. The Gonzaga alum racked up 32 points and nine assists, against just two turnovers, while he helped try to fill the scoring void created by Haliburton’s absence

“The confidence he plays with is incredible,” backup point guard T.J. McConnell said of Nembhard. “You see him bringing the ball up the floor, he’s getting people involved, he’s shooting it and making it at high level. In the playoffs, in the regular season, he’s coming off the bench, he’s starting at two, he’s starting at one, he’s the backup point guard. As a kid at his age, getting thrown around like that can maybe mess with your mental (side). But he’s answered the bell all year, his whole career.”

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McConnell did what he could to help the Pacers withstand an eventual 18-point Boston rally to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series on Saturday, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. The Celtics won, 114-111, and are now just one game away from making their second NBA Finals in the last three years. McConnell single-handedly outscored the Celtics’ bench 23-4 himself. Even facing a seemingly insurmountable hole, the former Arizona standout is hoping his club remains dialed in. “Obviously, this one stings, but there’s no guy in this locker room that’s packed it in,” McConnell said. “We’re gonna try to get one here and extend this series and then go back to Boston and try to make things difficult. But there’s no guy in this locker room that’s gonna quit.”
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle spoke post-game about making up for this Game 3 letdown, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “Believe me when I tell you, we are going after them,” Carlisle remarked. “We’re going to be back here [Gainbridge Fieldhouse] Monday night, looking to extend the series, and we’re going to come at them even harder.” Indiana had been up by eight with 2:38 left in regulation, before Boston’s two-way brilliance powered the team to a 13-2 final kick.
Although Nembhard submitted the game of his life in the absence of Haliburton (his 32-point night was a career-best), the Pacers still clearly felt the absence of their best player, notes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Big man Myles Turner and star forward Pascal Siakam, a free agent this summer, contributed what they could, but Siakam conceded post-game that the club was prone to sloppiness in the second half. “We did a good job in the first half, but in the second half, not as much,” Siakam said. “They made runs and we weren’t able to come back and have that same intensity. We had a couple of turnovers, and against a team like that, no team is safe, so we have to play well until the end.” It was reported earlier today that Haliburton’s status for the rest of the series is very much in doubt.