Tyrese Haliburton Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Haliburton, Bulls Injuries, Phillips, Lillard

February 1st, 2024 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

When Tyrese Haliburton returned on January 19 from a five-game absence due to a left hamstring strain, he played 35 minutes, then immediately returned to the inactive list. Following another five-game layoff due to that troublesome hamstring, the Pacers are taking a more cautious approach with their star point guard this time around, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.

Haliburton played only 22 minutes in his return in Boston on Tuesday, including just six in the second half. Head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed after the game that the All-Star is on a minutes restriction, which will likely continue at least through the rest of this week.

“It frustrates me,” Haliburton said. “I want to be on the floor. But it’s this organization’s job to protect me from myself. I’m a competitor. I want to compete, but I understand it at the end of the day. … I think that everybody wants to be safe and keep me on the floor as much as they can.”

The Pacers’ goal for Haliburton is to keep him on the court for as many games as possible the rest of the way, not just to improve their odds of a playoff berth in the East, but to ensure that he has a chance to earn All-NBA honors, which would increase the value of his five-year, maximum-salary extension by more than $40MM. Players must appear in at least 65 regular season games to qualify for end-of-season awards such as All-NBA.

Haliburton has already missed 13 games this season and fell short of the required 15-minute minimum in a 14th, but he essentially earned a bonus game toward his required 65 when the Pacers qualified for the in-season tournament final. That game doesn’t count toward the regular season results, but it will count toward Haliburton’s game total, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files confirms. That means the 23-year-old could miss up to four more contests this season and still be eligible for an All-NBA spot.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times passes along some injury updates on the Bulls, writing that Zach LaVine continues to deal with foot discomfort, while Dalen Terry is receiving treatment on a sprained ankle that kept him out of Wednesday’s game in Charlotte. However, head coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls are optimistic Terry will be back “relatively soon” and believe Torrey Craig is also “very close” to returning from the right foot injury that has sidelined him since mid-December.
Even once Craig is available, the Bulls may continue relying on rookie forward Julian Phillips for rotation minutes, at least until Patrick Williams is ready to return from his own foot injury. Donovan is confident that Phillips, who has averaged 18.3 minutes in the past three games, can handle the increased responsibilities, per Annie Constabile of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I give him credit for keeping himself ready and giving us a really good boost off the bench,” Donovan said. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in him in terms of the way he has worked to prepare himself to get in there. Anytime somebody scores and makes some shots, it always looks good, but I also thought his activity was really good, as well.”
While Damian Lillard didn’t pick up a win in his return to Portland on Wednesday night, the Bucks guard is getting more comfortable in Milwaukee after a relocation process he described as “unsettling.” Jamal Collier of ESPN has the story and the quotes from Lillard.

Central Notes: Haliburton, Rivers, LaVine, Cunningham

January 30th, 2024 at 6:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton is locked into a five-year extension that begins next season, but his hamstring strain, which kept him out nearly two weeks until Tuesday’s game against Boston, could prove very costly.

Haliburton’s total salary on that five-year deal could be either $204.5MM or $245.3MM, depending upon whether he’s paid 30% of a team’s salary cap as opposed to 25%. That extra 5% can be earned if he wins the MVP award or Defensive Player of the Year — or is voted onto one of the three All-NBA teams. However, under the new CBA he must appear in 65 regular-season games to qualify for postseason honors. He has already missed 13 games this season.

Haliburton realizes he can’t miss too many more games to get the full amount, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star writes.

“I’m human like you guys,” he said. “I use the Internet as well. I completely understand it and I understand what’s at stake for me financially as well. But at the end of the day, it’s also that I have to take care of my body to the best of my ability and put myself in the right situation. Yeah, I know I don’t have a ton of games left.”

Haliburton voiced his displeasure regarding the new qualifications.

“I think it’s a stupid rule like many guys in the league,” Haliburton said. “But this is what the owners want, so as players, we have to do our job and play in 65 games if we’re able to. That’s what I gotta do, take care of my body to be able to play in those games.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Bucks coach Doc Rivers said he’s intent on maximizing the potential of the Giannis Antetokounmpo–Damian Lillard pairing, Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays. “It’s been effective, but it should be dominant, in my opinion,” Rivers said. “We did a lot of two-man work today. You won’t probably see a lot of it (immediately), but it was clear, I think the whole team pretty much got what we did after 20 minutes of doing the same thing. It’s important for us. And then the three-man game with Khris (Middleton). Throw Khris in there, too. That’s important, as well.”
Rivers replaced Adrian Griffin, who lost his job mainly due to the team’s defensive slippage. Even though the Bucks were defeated by Denver in Rivers’ debut, the new coach said the team is quite capable of regaining its defensive prowess, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN. “I told our guys, anyone who told you you couldn’t play defense lied,” Rivers said. “You proved that (Monday). You competed. … Our half-court defense was excellent. I think (Monday) was an offensive loss. I didn’t think we were crisp offensively.”
Bulls coach Billy Donovan talks to Zach LaVine on a regular basis, but trade rumors are not a topic for discussion, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. ‘‘I haven’t talked to him about anything with the rumor piece of it,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘I would just guess that with him being in the league for 10 years that these things would kind of happen. My talks with him have been more centered around his frustration with being out.’’ LaVine is currently sidelined by a right foot injury.
Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is listed as probable to play against Cleveland on Wednesday, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Cunningham missed eight games with a left knee strain, returned to action against Washington on Saturday, then sat out the second game of a back-to-back on Sunday.

Central Notes: Duren, Pistons, Haliburton, Mitchell, Mobley

January 29th, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Duren had 22 points and 21 rebounds as the Pistons surprised Oklahoma City on Sunday, but he didn’t want anyone to think that’s all he did, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit News. “And six assists,” Duren pointed out as he spoke with reporters after the game. Cade Cunningham was a late scratch as he continues his recovery from a knee strain, so Detroit ran some of its offense through the second-year center.

“Honestly, we were able to get the win and that’s what I’m most happy about, it’s a big-time win,” Duren said. “Especially after yesterday. Just happy about that. 20 and 20 is 20 and 20, but for me I knew it was bound to happen at some time so I wasn’t really that worried about it.”

Duren has been one of the few bright spots for the Pistons, but Sankofa reports that the organization still believes it can salvage something from this season despite a 6-40 record and a historic losing streak. Duren has become much more polished that he was as a rookie, Sankofa adds, displaying better touch and footwork around the basket while being given more leeway to handle the ball and create plays under new coach Monty Williams.

“I just think he’s putting the work in,” Williams said. “I’ve told him if he’s gonna be the guy that we feel like he can be, he’s gotta own that position. Earlier, I thought that he was renting it because he would show flashes of it and then you wouldn’t see it. We just talk about the work that goes into being a solid player, then a good player, then a really good player and then a great player, on and on and on, you have to put in tons of work and just repeat those moves.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

With the trade deadline nearing, James L. Edwards of The Athletic talks with other Athletic writes about potential Pistons deals involving Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. They review proposed trades with the Lakers, Knicks and Thunder.
The Pacers are optimistic that Tyrese Haliburton will be available Tuesday night against Boston after missing 10 of the last 11 games with a left hamstring injury, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell participated in today’s shootaround and is listed as probable to play tonight after undergoing a scare involving a groin injury late in the Milwaukee game, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Evan Mobley also took part in the shootaround amid reports that he’ll be able to return soon following left knee surgery (Twitter link).

Central Notes: Rivers, Bucks, Haliburton, Sheppard, Cavs

January 28th, 2024 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked on Saturday what compelled him to return to the NBA’s head coaching ranks less that one year after being let go by Philadelphia and just a few months after joining ESPN as an analyst, Doc Rivers pointed to the Bucks‘ two superstars as a primary motivating factor.

“You know the answer. Giannis (Antetokounmpo), Dame (Lillard). Really, that’s the answer,” Rivers said at an introductory news conference, per Jamal Collier of ESPN. “Like, you look at their team. What is it, eight teams that have a legitimate shot (at a championship)? And I don’t know if it’s that high, but the Bucks are one of them, right?

“The other thing is the way they’re built with the veterans and their grown-ups. I thought that if you’re going to jump into this at this time of the year, this would be a type of group that you have the best opportunity to connect and change the quickest.”

For their part, Antetokounmpo and Lillard expressed excitement on Saturday about Rivers’ arrival, with Giannis citing the veteran coach’s “great energy” and Dame noting that Rivers won’t be afraid to challenge the team.

“He’s a strong voice. He’s going to demand more from our team,” Lillard said. “He’s not going to be afraid to challenge myself, he’s not going to be afraid to challenge Giannis…all the way down the line. I think when you’re dealing with a team that’s full of vets and as talented as we are, I think that’s something that you need if you want to reach the level that we want to reach.”

Rivers is on track to make his Bucks coaching debut on Monday in Denver.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton will miss a fifth straight game on Sunday due to his left hamstring injury, tweets Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. According to head coach Rick Carlisle, Haliburton will practice on Monday and will be considered day-to-day going forward.
After playing almost exclusively garbage-time minutes in the first half, Pacers rookie Ben Sheppard has averaged 18.4 minutes in the past seven games. While Sheppard’s numbers in his rotation role have been modest, his impressive hustle has served as a reminder of why Indiana liked him at No. 26 in last year’s draft, Dopirak writes for The Indianapolis Star.
Pete Nance‘s 10-day deal with the Cavaliers expired overnight on Saturday, so he’s no longer under contract with the team. Cleveland now has 13 players on standard contracts and will have up to two weeks to add a 14th man, whether that’s Nance on a second 10-day deal or someone else. If the Cavs take the full two weeks, they won’t be able to drop to 13 players for the rest of 2023/24, since teams can only carry fewer than 14 for up to 28 days in a season. The Cavs already used up 14 of those days after finalizing Ricky Rubio‘s buyout and before signing Nance.

2024 All-Star Starters Revealed; LeBron Sets Selection Record

January 25th, 2024 at 6:33pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The NBA revealed the 2024 All-Star Game starters on Thursday night, with Lakers forward LeBron James leading the pack with his record-breaking 20th straight selection. James has been a starter since 2005, his second season in the league, and broke his tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most selections in league history (Twitter link via NBA PR).

James and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will serve as captains. Joining James as Western Conference starters are Suns forward Kevin Durant, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. James is a captain for a seventh straight year.

Joining Antetokounmpo as Eastern Conference All-Star starters are Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Bucks guard Damian Lillard, Sixers center Joel Embiid and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.

Thursday’s selections represent milestones for several players. Antetokounmpo is making his eighth career start and was the top vote-getter. Lillard is making his first career All-Star start. Haliburton is the fourth player in Pacers history to be named an All-Star starter, joining Paul George, Reggie Miller and Jermaine O’Neal (Twitter link). Embiid is a starter after not being named one in his MVP season a year ago. Tatum is making his fifth All-Star Game.

In the West, Doncic set the Mavs’ franchise record with four All-Star Game starts. Jokic was first in player and media voting en route to his sixth straight selection. Gilgeous-Alexander is making his first start. Durant is making his 14th All-Star appearance.

The starters are selected by a weighted voting process with the fan vote accounting for half of the final outcome. The player and media portions of the vote each counted for 25 percent. Three frontcourt players and two guards were selected from each conference.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes there was little drama in the selections for the starting positions. The voting totals from fans didn’t vary much from week to week, with Embiid, Haliburton, Tatum, Antetokounmpo, James, Jokic and Durant well ahead in their respective positions. The second guard spot in the East was more competitive, with Lillard and Hawks guard Trae Young going back and forth in fan voting. The guard spots in the West were also tight, with Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander and Warriors guard Stephen Curry close in voting. Bontemps points out Lillard finished well ahead of Knicks guard Jalen Brunson in fan voting to earn the starting nod.

Full voting results can be found here.

The coaches for each All-Star team will be determined via the standings on Feb. 4, with the top-seeded coach taking the reins for each conference. However, Boston’s Joe Mazzulla and Denver’s Michael Malone are ineligible by virtue of the fact that they coached the two teams last season. Entering Thursday, the Thunder and Timberwolves are tied atop the West while the Bucks are next up behind the Celtics in the East, with the Sixers one game behind Milwaukee.

This year, the league is returning to the East vs. West format, so these players are suiting up for their respective conferences in the 73rd NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 18.

The reserves, who are picked by the league’s coaches, will be announced Feb. 1.

Team USA Announces 41-Player Pool For 2024 Olympics

January 23rd, 2024 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

USA Basketball has officially announced a pool of 41 players who are in the mix for the 12 spots on the 2024 Olympic men’s basketball team.

While the pool is subject to change, Team USA’s 12-man roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics will, in all likelihood, be made up of players from this group.

The list figures to shrink as the summer nears due to players suffering injuries or opting not to participate for other reasons, but at some point prior to the July event the U.S. decision-makers will have to choose a final roster from the remaining candidates.

Here’s the full list of 41 players, 28 of whom have represented Team USA in a previous World Cup or Olympics:

Bam Adebayo (Heat)
Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers)
Paolo Banchero (Magic)
Desmond Bane (Grizzlies)
Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
Devin Booker (Suns)
Mikal Bridges (Nets)
Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
Jimmy Butler (Heat)
Alex Caruso (Bulls)
Stephen Curry (Warriors)
Anthony Davis (Lakers)
Kevin Durant (Suns)
Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
Joel Embiid (Sixers)
De’Aaron Fox (Kings)
Paul George (Clippers)
Aaron Gordon (Nuggets)
Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers)
James Harden (Clippers)
Josh Hart (Knicks)
Tyler Herro (Heat)
Jrue Holiday (Celtics)
Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
Kyrie Irving (Mavericks)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
LeBron James (Lakers)
Cameron Johnson (Nets)
Walker Kessler (Jazz)
Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
Damian Lillard (Bucks)
Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)
Chris Paul (Warriors)
Bobby Portis (Bucks)
Austin Reaves (Lakers)
Duncan Robinson (Heat)
Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Derrick White (Celtics)
Trae Young (Hawks)

Adebayo, Booker, Durant, Holiday, Lillard, and Tatum were part of the Olympic team that won gold in Tokyo in 2021. Jerami Grant, Draymond Green, Keldon Johnson, Zach LaVine, JaVale McGee, and Khris Middleton were also on that roster, but aren’t part of the preliminary pool this time around. It’s possible some of them turned down invitations.

“The United States boasts unbelievable basketball talent and I am thrilled that many of the game’s superstars have expressed interest in representing our country at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games,” national team managing director Grant Hill said in a statement. “It is a privilege to select the team that will help us toward the goal of once again standing atop the Olympic podium. This challenging process will unfold over the next several months as we eagerly anticipate the start of national team activity.”

USA Basketball also announced today that Team USA will face Team Canada in Las Vegas on July 10 in an exhibition game. It sounds like that contest will take place during the NBA’s 2024 Summer League.

Pacers’ Haliburton Out For At Least Three More Games

January 23rd, 2024 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers will be without their star point guard for at least three more games, according to the team, which announced this morning (via Twitter) that Tyrese Haliburton will be unavailable vs. Denver (on Tuesday), Philadelphia (Thursday), and Phoenix (Friday) before being reevaluated on Saturday.

Haliburton missed five games due to a left hamstring strain earlier this month. He beat his projected recovery timeline by returning to action on Friday in Portland, but was ruled out for Sunday’s contest in Phoenix and will now remain on the shelf for a few more games due to what the club is calling left hamstring injury management.

It’s an unfortunate setback for the Pacers, who are in the midst of the Eastern Conference playoff race (they’re tied for sixth at 24-19) and are looking to establish chemistry with a revamped lineup that features newly acquired forward Pascal Siakam.

It’s also a potentially significant financial development for Haliburton, whose five-year, maximum-salary extension would increase in value by a projected $41MM if he makes an All-NBA team this season. As we outlined over the weekend, Haliburton would receive a starting salary worth 30% of next season’s cap – instead of 25% – if he earns All-NBA honors, but he’ll have to appear in at least 65 games to qualify.

By the time he’s reevaluated on Saturday, Haliburton will have missed 12 games this season. Additionally, he logged just 13 minutes in a 13th game, so it won’t count toward his 65-game minimum. That means he’d become ineligible for All-NBA consideration if he misses five more games after this Friday’s contest.

With Haliburton unavailable, the Pacers figure to continue leaning more heavily on T.J. McConnell, Andrew Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin for ball-handling and play-making responsibilities.

Minimum Game Requirement For Awards Looms Large For Super-Max Candidates

January 20th, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed back in September, there are several players around the NBA who would benefit financially from making an All-NBA team or winning a Most Valuable Player of Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023/24.

Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray are among the players who would become eligible to sign a super-max (Designated Veteran) contract during the 2024 offseason by earning one of those honors this season.

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could ensure they become eligible to sign a super-max extension in 2025 by making this year’s All-NBA team. Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. could do the same by winning a second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award.

Additionally, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, and Hornets guard LaMelo Ball signed maximum-salary rookie scale extensions that will be worth 30% of next season’s salary cap (instead of 25%) if they make an All-NBA team this spring. These “Rose Rule” contracts are essentially “mini” super-max deals.

Not all of those 10 players look like legitimate All-NBA, MVP, or DPOY candidates this season, but many of them will be in the mix. However, as Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks write at ESPN.com, the newly implemented 65-game minimum requirement for award winners looms large for this group.

Without appearing in 65 games (including at least 63 of 20-plus minutes and two of 15-plus minutes), these players will be ineligible to earn an All-NBA spot, and without that end-of-season honor, they won’t be in position to receive a higher maximum salary.

According to Bontemps and Marks, a player who misses more than 17 of his team’s games, falling short of appearing in the required 65, can technically still qualify for award recognition, but only in very specific scenarios:

If the player appeared in at least 62 games (and 85% of his team’s games to that point) and then suffers a season-ending injury.
If the player files a grievance and presents “clear and convincing evidence” that his team limited his games or his minutes with the intention of depriving him of award eligibility.

While there’s also a clause for “extraordinary circumstances,” the NBA and NBPA don’t expect that clause to apply to injury absences, since it would essentially defeat the purpose of the rule, per ESPN’s duo.

Of the 10 players mentioned above, one is already ineligible for a major end-of-season award — Ball has appeared in just 19 of the Hornets’ first 39 games due to an ankle injury, so even if he doesn’t miss a game for the rest of the season, he’ll max out at 62 appearances. Given Charlotte’s spot in the standings, Ball would have been an All-NBA long shot anyway, but he has been playing at a very high level when he’s been healthy.

The 65-game mark remains within reach for the rest of this group, though some players can’t really afford any sort of extended absence. Adebayo, for instance, has missed 10 of Miami’s 42 games so far and only logged 12 minutes in an 11th, which means it won’t count toward his 65. Seven more missed games would cost him his award eligibility.

Murray is in a similar spot — he has missed 14 of Denver’s 43 games and played just 10 minutes in a 15th, so three more missed games would make him ineligible for award consideration.

Doncic has missed seven games for the Mavericks, while Fox has missed six for the Kings, so they’re on pace to play in enough games, but if either player turns an ankle or tweaks a hamstring and is forced to the sidelines for a couple weeks, he’d be in trouble.

It looked like that might happen with Haliburton, who sat out just three of the Pacers’ first 36 games, then strained his hamstring earlier this month. He was expected to be unavailable for at least a couple weeks, but returned to action on Friday night, ahead of schedule, after missing just five contests.

Haliburton is a legitimate All-NBA candidate and would be in line for a projected $41MM pay increase across his five-year extension if he earns one of those 15 spots. Were those financial considerations a factor in his early return to action? Would he still have been inactive on Friday if that 65-game minimum weren’t in play?

It’s hard to imagine the Pacers allowing their franchise player to risk potential re-injury by coming back too early, but Haliburton certainly has a ton of motivation to play in every game he can this year.

As Howard Beck of The Ringer writes, that 65-game minimum will be a fascinating subplot to follow in the second half of the season. Although we’ve focused here on players whose future earnings could be directly tied to whether or not they claim an end-of-season award, there are many other potential All-NBA candidates who may fall short of 65 games, changing the equation for voters.

Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, Zion Williamson, and Lauri Markkanen are among the stars who have been out for eight or more games so far this season, Beck observes. Kevin Durant has missed seven.

The 65-game minimum isn’t necessary to earn votes for Sixth Man of the Year, Rookie of the Year, or an All-Rookie spot, but the other major awards require at least 65 appearances.

In 2023, five of the 15 players who made an All-NBA team appeared in fewer than 65 games, but that won’t be the case in 2024. The players who have the most riding on All-NBA honors from a financial perspective may be the ones most motivated to stay on the court, but as Adebayo points out, you “can’t stop injuries from happening.”

“God forbid nobody gets hurt, but you can’t [prevent] injury,” he said, per Bontemps and Marks. “I think it’s crazy that we even have the rule. It’s one of those things where you just accept the rule. … I guess use your 17 games as wisely as possible.”

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Siakam, Turner, Carlisle

January 19th, 2024 at 7:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton will return to action on Friday vs. Portland after missing the past five games with a hamstring strain, he announced on Twitter.

Haliburton is ahead of schedule, as he was originally expected to miss at least a couple weeks. At the time, there was a sense of relief that the injury, which he sustained vs. Boston on January 8, was not more serious.

The 12th pick of the 2020 draft, Haliburton has been one of the standout players of the 2023/24 season thus far, leading the NBA by averaging 12.5 assists per game while only turning the ball over 2.6 times a night, an elite 4.8-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

In addition to his terrific vision, basketball IQ and passing ability, Haliburton is also an extremely efficient scorer, averaging a career-best 23.6 PPG on .497/.403/.868 shooting in 33 games this season (33.4 MPG).

Marc J. Spears of Andscape reported on Thursday (Twitter link) that Pascal Siakam was expected to make his Pacers debut in Portland on Friday and that will indeed be the case, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The two-time All-NBA forward was recently acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Raptors.

Here’s more on the Pacers:

Multiple reports indicated that Siakam was enthusiastic about the opportunity to play with Haliburton, and Wojnarowski said on his podcast that star players around the league admire the guard’s “unselfish” game, suggesting it could be a key to future roster upgrades (hat tip to Evan Sidery). “They look at how much fun it is to play there,” Wojnarowski said. “How much fun (Haliburton) is to play with. How unselfish he is. And it sometimes allows you to play up in class in terms of your market. He makes up for the difference that a Midwestern market might’ve had trouble keeping the guy.”
Count Myles Turner among the players excited about Siakam’s addition, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). “Everybody sees this as a win-now move,” Turner said. “It’s an exciting move and a big move at the same time just to have someone who’s an All-Star and a 20-point-a-night scorer come into an organization like this, especially one that’s building and trying to get to a place that he’s been before (winning a championship).”
Head coach Rick Carlisle also spoke about Siakam on Thursday, as Dopirak relays. “We like him very much,” Carlisle said. “Been a long-time admirer. He has some unique skills for the 4 position. I even believe he can play some 3. I know he can play some small ball 5. I’ve just heard many, many great things about him as a person, as a professional, as a worker, as a teammate. Obviously, he’s been named to multiple All-Stars, multiple all-leagues, he’s done it at a high level. We think we’re getting him at a perfect time in his career.”

Pacers Notes: Siakam, Haliburton, Turner, Hard Cap

January 18th, 2024 at 2:37pm CST by Rory Maher

If Pascal Siakam was going to be traded by the Raptors, his preference was to land with the Pacers, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. After Wednesday’s trade saw that come to fruition, it became clear the feeling was mutual, with both sides showing enthusiasm about the chances of the two-time All-Star re-signing with Indiana on a long-term contract this summer.

A small-market team like the Pacers doesn’t typically attract star-level talent like the 29-year-old forward. However, as Amick details, Siakam never forgot that Pacers GM Chad Buchanan — then with the Hornets — told Siakam’s camp that he was being considered for Charlotte’s first-round pick in 2016. Charlotte ended up trading its pick in that draft, while the only other team that showed first round interest — Toronto — selected Siakam 27th overall.

Siakam also learned that Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle voted for him as an All-Star reserve last season; he ultimately made the team as an injury replacement. And, perhaps most importantly, Siakam wanted to play with point guard Tyrese Haliburton, one of the top young players in the NBA. Haliburton eagerly signed off on the deal, Amick adds.

Siakam has also long been a fan of Myles Turner, sources tell Amick. Siakam believes Turner’s rim protection on defense and ability to space the floor on offense will complement his game.

Here’s more on the Pacers:

In addition to being respected by the team, Siakam is also familiar with the state of Indiana because his older brother Christian played for IUPUI from 2007-12, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).
Siakam arrived in Indiana on Thursday for his physical and expressed his excitement about the trade, the team announced (via Twitter).
In an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Todd Ramasar — Siakam’s agent — said he views Indiana as a “perfect fit” for his client, and he could see Siakam with the Pacers long term. “There is that through line where everything is about ‘team’ and ‘winning,'” Ramasar said of the Pacers. “In winning, it’s also about having humility and competitiveness. Those are all the right attributes that you want in an organization down to the individuals that leads to something special in the future.”
According to Agness’ sources (Twitter link), Haliburton is ahead of schedule on his return from a hamstring injury, which is why he was listed as questionable for Thursday’s contest vs. Sacramento (Twitter link via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee). However, Carlisle said on Thursday that Haliburton isn’t quite ready to return yet, and he will miss his fifth straight game tonight, tweets Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
The Pacers are now hard-capped at the first tax apron following Wednesday’s trade for Siakam, notes Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The reason for that is Indiana exceeded the 110% salary-matching threshold, which triggers a hard cap in the new CBA. Over half the NBA’s teams now face hard caps, though it won’t be an impediment for many of them, including Indiana, whose team salary is far below the first apron.