2024 Off-Season

[JMaster5K]

https://www.si.com/nba/pacers/news/myles-turner-shares-details-about-his-indiana-pacers-teammates-on-club-520-podcast

[granger05]

Hollinger has an articleup on moves this summer that he didn't like much. We made the list. Here's the truncated bits.

Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard extension

Andrew Nembhard signed an extension with Indiana in late July, one that was reported as three years and $59 million. This one came late, while everyone was focused on the Olympics, so a lot of people shrugged their shoulders and said, “Yeah, three years for $59 million? Whatever, sounds OK.”

But on any extension like this, the thing to track isn’t the years and money, but the new years and new money. Indiana already had Nembhard under contract for two more seasons at a paltry $2 million and change each season. The extension wiped away the second of those years, which had been a Pacers team option.

Thus, the true value on this deal is two years and $57 million, which is wild for a player of his pedigree. Yes, Nembhard was good in the playoffs and is a plus team defender with a high overall basketball IQ; he also has a career PER of 10.6. If you think he’s really a 48.6 percent 3-point shooter, like he shot in 17 playoff games, then go nuts … but his career mark is 35.3 percent on middling volume.

...

Let’s look at the counterargument, though. One piece of small-market logic holds that retaining rights to players is paramount, and I lived this when I was vice president of basketball operations in Memphis. But even here, the deal falls a bit short: The contract Indiana gave Nembhard was the most the Pacers could pay annually, but the extension runs a year short of the maximum length. A team option for a final year at $19 million or so might have made this whole thing look more palatable.

...

The deal I would have considered doing in Indiana’s shoes would have been the exact same extension in years and money but tacked on after the cheap 2025-26 season — so the new years and new money was a true three-for-59 instead of two-for-57.

...

While I love what the Pacers have done in general the last few years to get to the position they’re in, including recently breaking ground for my condo development on Furphy Island, I can’t say I was a fan of this one.

[boomershadow]

They probably considered that first year of the extension as part of the price to lock up a solid young starter with potential for 20/per in those last two seasons right now.

In a way it is similar to what they did with Turner. Give him a raise early that the team didn't technically have to in order to get a more reasonable yearly salary on the back end of the contract.

[Scoot McGroot]

Yeah. Hollinger admits he did it in Memphis too and then immediately dismisses the concept that Indy shouldn’t let a guy like Nembhard hit unrestricted free agency and should have just kept him for year 3 and 4. Like, sure, maybe he’d end up signing for less than $28.5m per year on that new deal, but there’s absolutely no guarantee he’d sign that deal in Indiana.

[Wizop]

I've liked K Brown from draft day, but I don't think Swider signs with us unless he got something close to a promise. He doesn't want a two-way.

[Scoot McGroot]

I've liked K Brown from draft day, but I don't think Swider signs with us unless he got something close to a promise. He doesn't want a two-way.

Yeah, Swider specifically didn’t sign a two way or an exhibit 10, so it’s basically main roster or bust for him here. I’m sure they promised him a fair chance at that 15th roster spot. I think Kendall needs to lock in as a defensive player in order to keep his roster spot.

[Wizop]

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[Wizop]

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[Pacers Forever]

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Hopefully we get some insight tomorrow and see what the players have been working on from media day. We will see who they talk to and which camp invites, possible Mad Ants, or end of the roster players are interviewed or not.

[JMaster5K]

Another big man with an opportunity & chance with the ants?

https://hoopshype.com/2024/09/28/jahlil-okafor-agrees-to-deal-with-indiana-pacers/

[Wizop]

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videos are starting to appear on YouTube. Carlisle is online first.

[Scoot McGroot]

Another big man with an opportunity & chance with the ants?

https://hoopshype.com/2024/09/28/jahlil-okafor-agrees-to-deal-with-indiana-pacers/

Yeah. I hear he won’t be in camp. THe Ants had acquired his GLeague rights last week, so this is the exhibit 10 signing so he can get a bonus.

[Pacers Forever]

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So 1 of the following won’t be on the roster opening night unless an injury occurs.

James Johnson —probably stays
Cole Swider
Kendall Brown

[Pacers Forever]

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videos are starting to appear on YouTube. Carlisle is online first.

Nice ! In years past they have posted short sit down interviews with each player on the Pacers website. Not seeing anything there yet.

[Wizop]

so 1 of the following won’t be on the roster opening night unless an injury occurs.

James Johnson —probably stays
Cole Swider
Kendall Brown

Wiseman is also non-guaranteed and so Scott Agness adds him to his version of this list but I see it the way you do with Swider and Brown fighting for one spot. I was a fan of Brown on draft day, but I'm betting on Swider now.

[Pacers Forever]

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We all know the starting 5 so the only player who played a lot last year missing from these 10 players is Ben Sheppard.

With Mathurin healthy Sheppard slides into Doug McDermott’s spot although I see him getting more minutes than Doug’s 0-6 minutes a night.

Also early on I have to guess from Carlisle’s comments that Wiseman has a lot of potential and a lot of growth expected. He also has to get familiar with the offense he pointed out.

I see Isiah Jax getting Smith’s backup position to Myles and Wiseman taking I Jax’s bench minutes of 0-6 per night or foul trouble duty.

Realistically that leaves only Furphy as the only player that might see minutes.

Brown or Swider make the team but will have to earn minutes.

Quenton Jax, Enrique Freeman, and Tristan Newton are for all purposes so far down the ladder they’re Mad Ants and blowout or injury subs.

James Johnson is a bench coach and behind the scenes counselor.

[Scoot McGroot]

so 1 of the following won’t be on the roster opening night unless an injury occurs.

James Johnson —probably stays
Cole Swider
Kendall Brown

Wiseman is also non-guaranteed and so Scott Agness adds him to his version of this list but I see it the way you do with Swider and Brown fighting for one spot. I was a fan of Brown on draft day, but I'm betting on Swider now.

Wiseman is $500k guaranteed, so I'd assume we see him until December, at least?

Otherwise, there's also the possibility that neither Swider nor Brown make the roster, and we run with 14 for a bit for trade flexibility?Even then, we could eventually promote Freeman to take that 15th spot after the trade deadline, if he's earned it.

[Pacers Forever]

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We all know the starting 5 so the only player who played a lot last year missing from these 10 players is Ben Sheppard.

With Mathurin healthy Sheppard slides into Doug McDermott’s spot although I see him getting more minutes than Doug’s 0-6 minutes a night.

Also early on I have to guess from Carlisle’s comments that Wiseman has a lot of potential and a lot of growth expected. He also has to get familiar with the offense he pointed out.

I see Isiah Jax getting Smith’s backup position to Myles and Wiseman taking I Jax’s bench minutes of 0-6 per night or foul trouble duty.

Realistically that leaves only Furphy as the only player that might see minutes.

Brown or Swider make the team but will have to earn minutes.

Quenton Jax, Enrique Freeman, and Tristan Newton are for all purposes so far down the ladder they’re Mad Ants and blowout or injury subs.

James Johnson is a bench coach and behind the scenes counselor.

Then there’s this tidbit that shows he’s working hard in a logjam of a talented roster. Someone will lack defense and Sheppard will hear his name called.

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[Pacers Forever]

I came up to Indiana for my grandson’s 5th birthday party. Raised my son and daughter to like going to sporting events. So we’re all going to fan jam on Sunday. Will be my first in a long time.

Also my son snagged 4 tickets to the Pacers preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies. First row of the upper deck at center court for $22 apiece. Colts were out of town during my stay.

I hope to see Swider in action along with a fully healthy Mathurin. Of course will be curious to see if any other players games look different or improved.

[JMaster5K]

I came up to Indiana for my grandson’s 5th birthday party. Raised my son and daughter to like going to sporting events. So we’re all going to fan jam on Sunday. Will be my first in a long time.

Also my son snagged 4 tickets to the Pacers preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies. First row of the upper deck at center court for $22 apiece. Colts were out of town during my stay.

I hope to see Swider in action along with a fully healthy Mathurin. Of course will be curious to see if any other players games look different or improved.

Would love to hear what you think after the game?