Indiana Pacers

Indiana Pacers forward JaKarr Sampson has been suspended one game for headbutting Patty Mills in Monday's loss to the San Antonio Spurs. 

Per an official release from the NBA, Sampson will serve his suspension on Wednesday night when the Pacers host the Oklahoma City Thunder:

The incident occurred in the fourth quarter when Sampson appeared to shove Mills in the back on an Aaron Holiday layup. 

After the Spurs brought the ball up the court, Mills appeared to intentionally run into Sampson. The Pacers forward shoved him and used his head to make contact with Mills as the two men were standing face-to-face. 

The officials whistled Sampson for a flagrant 2 foul and ejected him from the game. Mills and Rudy Gay, who got tangled up with Sampson after the altercation began, were fined for their roles in the incident. 

San Antonio won the game 109-94 for its fourth victory in the past six games. The Pacers have dropped three of their last four games. 

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner's return to the Indiana Pacers lineup was short-lived.

The 25-year-old, who returned Sunday after a six-game absence because of a sprained ankle, has been diagnosed with a partial tear in the plantar plate of his right great toe and is out indefinitely.

After the announcement, Turner took to Twitter to provide his own update on his status:

Turner had morphed into a legitimate contender for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award this season, his sixth in the league. Through 47 games, he averaged 12.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game with a league-leading 3.4 blocks.

The Texas product also led the league in blocks in 2018-19, when he posted 2.7 per game.

The 25-year-old suffered an avulsion fracture in his right hand in January, but he avoided a major disruption to his season and only missed two games, but ankles on his lower half limited him through the late part of the season. He was sidelined again with an ankle issue for a game in March and then returned for seven games, but the ankle sprain got the best of him after an April 6 outing against the Chicago Bulls.

Without Turner in the lineup, a healthy Doug McDermott would have likely seen an increased role with the team, though he is dealing with an ankle injury and has missed three games in a row.

As a result, Goga Bitadze and JaKarr Sampson could see more time in the frontcourt.

Bobby "Slick" Leonard, whose love for the game of basketball became inextricable from the sport's place in the state of Indiana, died at age 88, the Pacers announced Tuesday.

"Pacers fans will remember Bobby 'Slick' Leonard as the spirit of our franchise. With a charisma, intensity, and wit to match his nickname, Slick made us champions," the Pacers ownership group said in a statement. "He was our biggest fan and our most loving critic, and he personified Pacers basketball for generations of Hoosier families. Most importantly, though, Slick and Nancy are our family, and his passing leaves an unfillable void in the hearts of everyone associated with this organization. We keep the entire Leonard family in our prayers, and we recognize and honor Slick for what he meant to our state both on and off the court."

An Indiana native, Leonard followed up an impressive career at Terre Haute Gerstmeyer High School by leading the Indiana Hoosiers to two Big Ten titles and sunk the game-winning free throw to clinch the 1953 NCAA title for the Hoosiers over Kansas. After a stint serving in the U.S. Army, Leonard embarked on a professional career that helped aid the sport's popularity in Indiana. 

Leonard was selected in the second round of the 1954 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets but spent the majority of his career with the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Packers/Zephyrs. He averaged 9.9 points, 3.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game during his seven seasons in the NBA.

Leonard's playing career ended in 1963 only for his coaching career to take off. He led the Indiana Pacers to ABA titles in 1970, 1972 and 1973.

Leonard's success in the ABA didn't exactly carry over after the league merged with the NBA. The Pacers missed the postseason in their first four NBA seasons as the financial burden of putting together a contending roster became too difficult. In 1977, Leonard and his wife, Nancy, hosted a successful telethon to raise money to keep the team in Indianapolis. 

"To me, Slick was a real Hoosier, he loved the State and everyone that lives there," Larry Bird said in a statement. "He was a great mentor to me and a friend that everyone should have. Slick will be greatly missed and remembered with respect and admiration forever. My family and I send our sincere condolences to Nancy and the Leonard family."

One of Leonard's final chapters in basketball saw him take to the airwaves to call Pacers games as their long-time radio broadcaster. That made his voice synonymous with the triumphs of Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson, Rik Smits and an Indiana team that produced legendary rivalries with the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference. 

Leonard was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014 alongside Alonzo Mourning, Mitch Richmond, Nolan Richardson and David Stern. 

Leonard is survived by his wife Nancy, their five children, 12 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Indiana Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren told reporters that Myles Turner suffered a "pretty good" ankle sprain during the team's loss to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday.

Bjorkgren said an X-ray on the injury came back negative.

Turner logged 20 minutes, scoring 10 points and tacking on four rebounds and three blocks before exiting with the injury.

The 25-year-old dealt with an ankle sprain at the end of March, an injury he picked up against the Miami Heat on March 21.

The injury came as Turner successfully blocked a shot from Patrick Williams, but he rolled his foot and ankle upon landing, according to J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star.

Goga Bitadze moved into the open spot in the lineup, which was a mighty task as he went up against Nikola Vucevic. It worked out exactly as well as pitting a meager second-year backup against a back-to-back All-Star could have, as Vucevic went on to end the night with 32 points and 17 rebounds.

Depending on how much time—if any—Turner misses, the Pacers could be in a pretty precarious situation. Domantas Sabonis can also play center, but he has been struggling with a sprained ankle of his own.

Indiana Pacers forward T.J. Warren is done for the year. 

The team announced Thursday that Warren would not return this season after having surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot on Jan. 5. 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported in December that Warren, who appeared in four games this season, was expected to "miss a significant portion" of the year following the procedure. 

Warren's last outing came Dec. 29 against the Boston Celtics, when he posted 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting in 30 minutes of action. He averaged 15.5 points and 3.5 rebounds through his four appearances this season, a year after he posted a career-high 19.8 points in his first year in the Eastern Conference.

Part of those points game during a 53-point outing against Philadelphia in the NBA bubble last season, where he averaged almost 27 points per game. 

The NC State product was drafted by the Phoenix Suns with the No. 14 overall pick in 2014 and spent the first five seasons of career in the West, where he averaged no less than 14.4 points per game once he broke through as a starter in his third year. 

He dropped 19.6 points per game and averaged 5.1 rebounds through 66 appearances in 2016-17, his best year before joining the Pacers last season. He had returned for that campaign off of season-ending foot surgery he endured earlier in 2016. 

Warren is under contract with the Pacers for one more season, per Spotrac.

The Atlanta Hawks reportedly had discussions with the Indiana Pacers regarding a deal for Malcolm Brogdon, but such a move is "unlikely," according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.

The point guard has a $20.7 million salary in 2020-21 and is owed $44.3 million over the next two years, per Spotrac.

Mannix noted there is also concern for Brogdon's injury history. He's missed at least 15 games in each of the last three years and is currently dealing with a sore lower back.

A trade between the Hawks and Pacers would be interesting considering the different circumstances compared to a year ago.

Indiana finished last season 45-28 for the fourth seed in the East, while Atlanta missed the playoffs for the third year in a row at 20-47. In 2020-21, the Hawks are sitting at fourth in the conference at 22-21, while the Pacers have fallen to 19-23 and out of a projected playoff spot.

Atlanta, which is 6-1 since the All-Star break, could be a buyer ahead of Thursday's trade deadline and could benefit from another experienced player alongside a mostly young roster.

Rajon Rondo has been the team's secondary ball-handler alongside Trae Young, but the four-time All-Star has been in and out of the lineup and is averaging just 3.9 points in 27 appearances this year.

Brogdon would be a reliable scoring option next to Young after averaging 21.6 points in 40 games, which would be a career high. The addition could help the Hawks match up with the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, which are both loaded with scorers.

Even if the upside is there, it appears a deal would be too risky for Atlanta.      

The Indiana Pacers are reportedly open to considering trades for Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon ahead of Thursday's deadline. 

Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports reported Brogdon, in particular, could be a trade piece as the Pacers look to hand the primary ball-handling duties to Caris LeVert. Goodwill's report says teams are "monitoring" Sabonis, who seems highly unlikely to be moved by the deadline.

Brogdon is putting together a career-best season in 2020-21, averaging 21.6 points, 6.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds while knocking down nearly 40 percent of his threes. He and Sabonis have been Indiana's offensive catalysts in what's been a frustrating, injury-filled campaign for most of the roster.

The Pacers are 19-23 and tied for ninth place in the Eastern Conference heading into Tuesday night. 

Brogdon is in the second season of a four-year, $85 million contract that seemed like a slight overpay at the time but now looks like a solid value. The Pacers could find a number of contenders willing to part with young players and draft picks in order to add Brogdon's combination of ball-handling, shooting and perimeter defense.

Finding the right trade package may be difficult over the next 48 hours. It may be smarter for Indiana to play through a holding pattern into the offseason when more teams will have tradeable contracts or cap space they'd be willing to spend on Brogdon.

The idea of moving Sabonis at this point, following two straight All-Star appearances, seems more like wishful thinking from teams. Sabonis is a 24-year-old building block signed to a well below-max contract through 2023-24; it would take a massive haul for the Pacers to even consider moving on. 

The Indiana Pacers reportedly aren't all that interested in trading center Myles Turner.   

According to J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star, "For the Indiana Pacers to even consider dealing Myles Turner by the March 25 trade deadline, there would have to be a 'no-brainer' deal that blows them away. ... They're not trying to unload the 6-11 center."

A source told Michael they would be "stunned if Turner doesn't remain in Indiana."

Michael reported the Pacers had offered Turner, Doug McDermott and a first-round pick to the Celtics before the season, though the deal didn't materialize. Per that report, teams around the NBA weren't terribly interested in dealing for Turner at the time. 

That interest has reportedly ramped up during the season, however, with Michael reporting both Los Angeles teams, the New York Knicks and New Orleans Pelicans have inquired about Turner or have interest. 

Turner, 24, has been excellent for the Pacers this season, averaging 13.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, a whopping 3.4 blocks and 1.0 assists while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from three. The Pacers are 0-3 in games he's missed and outscore opponents by 3.0 points per 100 possessions when he's on the court, per NBA.com. 

Their net rating drops to minus-3.6 when he sits, however. 

Questions have long surrounded the future of Turner in Indiana with big man Domantas Sabonis also on the roster and starting. But the 19-23 Pacers, currently 10th in the East, seem more inclined than ever to hold onto the big man. 

Or as Michael wrote, "Turner has gone from a valuable trade chip to a necessary component for Indiana," though he added Turner, McDermott and Aaron Holiday are the players "most asked about around the league" in trade talks. 

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner suffered will not participate in Monday's contest at the Milwaukee Bucks because of a left ankle injury, the team announced.

The 24-year-old is averaging 13.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and an NBA- and career-high 3.4 blocks per game in his sixth NBA season.

He's been a shot-blocking machine for the Pacers, notably swatting eight shots on two separate occasions this year.

The Defensive Player of the Year candidate and ex-University of Texas star looked as if he may miss an extended period of time after suffering an avulsion fracture in his right hand in mid-January. Fortunately, he missed only two games and returned on Jan. 22 against the Orlando Magic.

However, the six-year veteran will now miss more time with an ankle issue.

Indiana has numerous options to replace Turner in the starting five, such as inserting Doug McDermott in the lineup and moving Domantas Sabonis to center.

In addition, the team can put backup big man Goga Bitadze down low.

Either way, the Pacers rotation is down one for the time being sans Turner and must readjust as the team searches for its sixth straight playoff appearance.

If the Indiana Pacers want to put Myles Turner on the trade block, there are no shortage of playoff contenders who would be interested in the veteran center.  

Per J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star, the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans are among teams that "have explored whether the Pacers are willing to part with" Turner prior to the March 25 trade deadline. 

Turner's name has often come up in trade rumors, but the Pacers have yet to find a deal they like enough to move the 24-year-old. 

Michael reported last November that the Hornets "sent out feelers a couple [of] months ago to gauge [Turner's] interest in playing there." 

Per Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, the Pacers offered Turner and Doug McDermott to the Boston Celtics in a potential sign-and-trade deal for Gordon Hayward, but Boston wanted to the deal with T.J. Warren or Victor Oladipo instead of McDermott. 

Turner would likely be one of the most sought-after players if the Pacers did make him available in a trade. He's a good defensive player, an efficient scorer and is only making $17.5 million in each of the next two seasons before being eligible for free agency after the 2022-23 campaign. 

Now in his sixth season with the Pacers, Turner is averaging 13.2 points on 48.5 percent shooting and an NBA-best 3.4 blocks per game in 36 starts. 

The Pacers have fallen to 10th in the Eastern Conference playoff standings over the past month. They have lost 12 of their past 17 games since Feb. 3 after starting the season 12-9.