Indiana Pacers

As he enters the final year of his contract, Jeremy Lamb is still a member of the Indiana Pacers. However, that might not remain the case for the entirety of the 2021-22 NBA season.

The Indianapolis Star's J. Michael reported the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets are showing interest in the 6'5" guard.

Michael reported on Aug. 1 that the Pacers were looking to move Lamb in part because he has fallen down the rotation a bit. Caris LeVert figures to start at shooting guard, and Indiana used the 13th overall pick on Oregon star Chris Duarte.

Dealing the 29-year-old now might be difficult, though. He was limited to 36 games last year and missed the final month due to a knee injury. He also tore his left ACL and meniscus in February 2020.

Trade suitors might be a bit wary of giving up too much for Lamb until they see him on the court this fall.

Although the Pacers seemed to have soured on him a bit, Lamb is averaging 10.4 points on 44.4 percent shooting through nine seasons. He also shot 40.6 percent from beyond the arc in 2020-21, well above his career average (34.4 percent).

If that carries over into the upcoming campaign, Lamb would be a good fit for the Lakers. Spacing the floor is shaping up to be a challenge for Los Angeles with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook all playing prominent roles.

The Hornets used their first-round pick on Connecticut star James Bouknight, and they just handed Terry Rozier a four-year, $97 million extension. Although Lamb's fit in Charlotte would be a little less seamless than in L.A., his arrival would allow Rozier to spell LaMelo Ball at the point more often.

He also played for one season under Hornets head coach James Borrego, which should help ease the transition.

After missing the playoffs for the first time in six years, the Indiana Pacers will look to bounce back in 2021-22.

Indiana changed coaches after a stretch of five straight first-round exits in the postseason, but things got even worse under Nate Bjorkgren as a 34-38 record was only enough for a spot in the play-in tournament. A loss to the Washington Wizards then sealed the team's fate of being on the outside looking in of the playoffs. 

Rick Carlisle now returns as head coach with a team that is seemingly talented enough to contend in the Eastern Conference if it can stay healthy.

Domantas Sabonis earned his second successive All-Star selection last season while Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert and T.J. Warren provide plenty of help from the perimeter. Adding the defensive ability of Myles Turner and the tools are there for a successful season.

The team will need to prove it on the court during the upcoming year.

          

2021-22 Pacers Schedule Details

Season Opener: Oct. 20 at Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m. ET

Championship Odds: +11000 (FanDuel)

Schedule: NBA.com

        

Top Matchups

Chicago Bulls (First matchup: Nov. 22 at United Center)

The Bulls are coming off their fourth straight losing season, but they have added Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan this offseason to provide some offensive help alongside Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Young players such as Patrick Williams and Coby White should also play significant roles next year as they continue to develop.

It should be enough to at least make Chicago a contender to reach the playoffs, which makes the team a threat for the Pacers.

Indiana went just 1-2 against the Bulls last year, and things will be even tougher in 2021-22. With Chicago now having plenty of scoring guards, the Pacers must not only defend but also keep up offensively.

The Central Division rivals should have some close big-time battles throughout the upcoming season, and each game could be extremely important when it comes to playoff positioning. 

      

Washington Wizards (First matchup: Oct. 22 at Capital One Arena)

Last season was a bad one for Indiana, but it was the Wizards that eventually eliminated the squad.

The Pacers were embarrassed during a 142-115 loss in the play-in game that determined the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. Washington shot 58.1 percent from the field and 14-of-28 from three as the visiting team provided no resistance defensively.

Indiana will have a chance to avenge this loss while helping itself in the fight for a 2022 playoff spot.

Russell Westbrook is no longer on the Wizards, but Bradley Beal remains with an intriguing roster filled with players who could be difference-makers with increased opportunities. Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and Spencer Dinwiddie have all played well in smaller roles and could be in for big years in Washington. Rui Hachimura, Thomas Bryant and Deni Avdija will also be worth watching if they can stay healthy.

This team is good enough to reach the postseason, but the Pacers will need to excel in the head-to-head battles to stay ahead in the standings.

      

Season Forecast

The Pacers didn't make too many high-profile moves in the offseason, which could be a concern as they try to produce better results. Torrey Craig can be a valuable addition to the rotation, but he won't turn things around on his own.

Indiana will hope the difference comes from staying healthy and getting the most out of the players on the roster.

Sabonis and Brogdon essentially carried the Pacers for much of last season, but LeVert and Warren can provide a much-needed boost offensively if they are on the court. Even Jeremy Lamb can make a difference if he can return to full strength.

On the other end, Turner averaged 3.4 blocks per game before missing significant time with a foot injury. He might have been a Defensive Player of the Year candidate if he had stayed healthy.

These players can compete with nearly anyone in the league, although it requires a lot going right throughout the year. The competitors in the East also aren't going away with the Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and others likely to top the standings.

Even if Indiana gets back into the playoffs, don't expect a long postseason run from this squad.

Record Prediction: 44-38

    

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T.J. McConnell has agreed to return to the Indiana Pacers on a four-year, $35 million contract, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.  

The 29-year-old averaged 8.6 points (55.9 percent from the field), 6.6 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. He started only three of 69 games but was the team's most-used player off the bench (26.0 minutes per game).

The six-year NBA veteran began his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, who signed the Arizona product as an undrafted free agent in September 2015.

McConnell played four years in Philadelphia, averaging 6.4 points and 4.7 assists in 22.0 minutes per game. He primarily came off the bench for the 76ers outside the 2016-17 season, when he started 51 of his 81 games.

The 76ers enjoyed a significant turnaround from the beginning to the end of McConnell's tenure, going 10-72 during his rookie season before improving to a pair of 50-plus win seasons at the end, including two Eastern Conference semifinals appearances.

The emergence of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons played the biggest role there, but McConnell was still a valuable member of the 76ers rotation.

McConnell became a free agent in the summer of 2019 and signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the Pacers. He averaged 6.5 points and 5.0 assists in his first year with Indiana, which earned the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Last year didn't go so well for the Pacers, who went 33-39 and finished one win shy of the playoffs after falling to the Washington Wizards in the play-in tournament. But re-signing McConnell is a good move for Indiana as it looks to return to the postseason once again.

If the Indiana Pacers decide to move on from Myles Turner, at least one Eastern Conference playoff team is reportedly ready to make a deal. 

Per J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star, the New York Knicks have been "trying hard" to get the Pacers to trade Turner. 

Michael noted the Pacers "don't seem in a hurry to bust up their core" heading into the start of free agency this week. 

Turner's name has frequently come up in trade speculation for a number of years, yet no offers have presented themselves to get the Pacers to move on from the veteran center. 

Last offseason, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reported the Pacers did offer Turner and Doug McDermott to the Boston Celtics as part of a sign-and-trade package for Gordon Hayward. 

According to Washburn, the Celtics turned down the proposal because they wanted either T.J. Warren or Victor Oladipo instead of McDermott. 

Hayward wound up going to the Charlotte Hornets in a sign-and-trade deal with the Celtics. 

The Knicks do have Mitchell Robinson as their primary center, but Turner's defensive ability would be an upgrade for head coach Tom Thibodeau. He has led the NBA in blocks and block percentage twice in the past three seasons. 

Depth at center behind Robinson is currently an issue in New York. Nerlens Noel, who started 41 games last season, is set to become an unrestricted free agent. 

Turner was the No. 11 overall pick by the Pacers in the 2015 NBA draft. The 25-year-old has averaged 12.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in 389 appearances over the past six seasons.    

The Indiana Pacers added a high-upside talent with the No. 22 pick of the 2021 NBA draft, selecting Kentucky forward Isaiah Jackson. 

Even though the Los Angeles Lakers made the pick, it was traded to the Washington Wizards earlier in the day. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Wizards will acquire the No. 22 pick, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell from the Lakers for Russell Westbrook. 

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Wizards agreed to deal the 22nd pick to the Pacers for the No. 31 pick and Aaron Holiday.

Bleacher Report Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman's Scouting Report

Player: Isaiah Jackson

Position: PF/Center

Height: 6'10"

Pro Comparison: Nic Claxton

Scouting Report: Even without a great deal of skill, Jackson figures to carve out a role just by running the floor, catching lobs and blocking shots.

Pacers Active Roster and Average Salary (Expiration Year)

Malcolm Brogdon, PG: $21.3M (2023)

Myler Turner, C: $20M (2023)

Domantas Sabonis, PF: $18.7M (2024)

Caris LeVert, SG: $17.5M (2023)

T.J. Warren, SF: $11.8M (2022)

Jeremy Lamb, SG: $10.5M (2022)

Justin Holiday, SF: $6M (2023)

Chris Duarte, SG: $3.03M (2025)

Goga Bitadze, C: $3M (2023)

Edmond Sumner, PG: $2.3M (Team option)

Isaiah Jackson, F: $1.983 (2025)

Kelan Martin, SF: $1.6M (2022)

Oshae Brissett, SF: $1.2M (2023)

       

Free Agents

Doug McDermott, SF: UFA

T.J. McConnell, PG: UFA

JaKarr Sampson, SF: UFA

Cassius Stanley, SG: RFA

Jackson produced modest offensive numbers during his lone season at Kentucky, averaging 8.4 points while taking just 5.5 field-goal attempts per game. He still led the team in win shares, per Sports Reference, thanks mostly to his work on the defensive end.

The forward averaged 2.6 blocks per game and was named to both the SEC All-Defense and All-Freshman teams. His skill set should help him thrive at the next level, even if he wasn't able to lead the Wildcats to any success in 2020-21.

Jackson will join Chris Duarte as the Pacers top two rookies in 2021-22. His size and defensive aptitude in the paint will come in handy for an Indiana team that ranked 13th in defensive rating and 25th in points allowed per game last season. 

The Indiana Pacers selected Oregon star Chris Duarte with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. 

Bleacher Report Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman's Scouting Report

Player: Chris Duarte

Position: SG

Height: 6'6"

Pro Comparison: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Scouting Report: Duarte's shooting and defensive toughness are obvious draws, but this season, he showcased more scoring creativity and playmaking than your typical three-and-D prospect.

Pacers Active Roster and Average Salary (Expiration Year)

Malcolm Brogdon, PG: $21.3M (2023)

Myler Turner, C: $20M (2023)

Domantas Sabonis, PF: $18.7M (2024)

Caris LeVert, SG: $17.5M (2023)

T.J. Warren, SF: $11.8M (2022)

Jeremy Lamb, SG: $10.5M (2022)

Justin Holiday, SF: $6M (2023)

Chris Duarte, SG: $3.033M (2025)

Goga Bitadze, C: $3M (2023)

Aaron Holiday, PG: $2.6M (2022)

Edmond Sumner, PG: $2.3M (Team option)

Kelan Martin, SF: $1.6M (2022)

Oshae Brissett, SF: $1.2M (2023)

       

Free Agents

Doug McDermott, SF: UFA

T.J. McConnell, PG: UFA

JaKarr Sampson, SF: UFA

Cassius Stanley, SG: RFA

The 6'6" guard spent two seasons with the Ducks after starting his collegiate career at Northwest Florida State.

Duarte averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.9 steals as a senior. He also shot 53.2 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from beyond the arc. He showed up big in the NCAA tournament, combining to score 44 points against Iowa and USC.

The Dominican Republic native collected quite the haul of accolades in his final season, getting named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and Pac-12 All-Defensive team while winning the Jerry West Award for the best shooting guard.

Duarte certainly fits the Pacers timeline as a team that is trying to win now. Rookies often struggle to make significant contributions right away, but he's a polished college player who has a strong shooting prowess and plays with high effort on the defensive end. 

The Indiana Pacers are expected to "once again [gauge] the trade market" for Myles Turner this offseason, according to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer. 

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans are among those who have shown interest in the 6'11" center.

Sooner or later, the Pacers will probably split up Turner and Domantas Sabonis. They don't complement one another that well, and flipping one of the two would help Indiana address another area of the court. 

Considering Sabonis is a two-time All-Star, Turner seems the most likely to go. He's also signed for one fewer year than Sabonis.

Center is an obvious area of need for Charlotte since Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo are both free agents. That's part of the reason the Hornets had been considered an option for Andre Drummond prior to him signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.

And in general, Charlotte has to be aggressive in pursuing proven stars because it's not a marquee destination for free agents.

The Pelicans are less of a fit at the moment. Zion Williamson is New Orleans' cornerstone, and the team handed a two-year, $35 million extension to Steven Adams after acquiring him from the Oklahoma City Thunder last year.

B/R's Dan Favale proposed a three-team trade that involved the Pacers, Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs with Turner winding up in New Orleans and Adams going to San Antonio.

If general manager Trajan Langdon could find a taker for Adams, then Turner would make more sense as a traditional rim protector to take the defensive pressure off Williamson.

Regardless of where they wind up, the Indiana Pacers apparently don't want to stay at No. 13 in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft.

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported the Pacers "are incredibly active in trade talks involving this pick, both for deals moving into the top 10 or out of the draft entirely."

Indiana's decision to fire head coach Nate Bjorkgren after just one season was to some extent an acknowledgement that it's working against a ticking clock. Bringing back Rick Carlisle to replace Bjorkgren was indicative of ownership and the front office's priorities.

The window to contend is open right now, but that may not remain the case in a few years. T.J. Warren and Jeremy Lamb are eligible for free agency in 2022, and Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner and Carvis LeVert are all set to hit the open market in 2023.

O'Connor projected the Pacers to take Australian guard Josh Giddey, while Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman had them selecting Baylor guard Davion Mitchell in his most recent mock draft.

Neither Giddey nor Mitchell are likely to make Indiana markedly better in the short term. In general, it's rare to land an immediate difference-maker in the middle of the first round, although Sacramento Kings rookie Tyrese Haliburton (No. 12 overall) was an exception.

By moving up in the first round or trading out altogether, the Pacers might be able to add a player who fits better with their timeline.

Since they're limited in terms of salary-cap space, the easiest way for the Pacers to strengthen their roster may be dangling their first-round pick to possible suitors.

The Philadelphia 76ers reportedly turned down a significant trade offer from the Indiana Pacers for guard Ben Simmons.

According to Jason Dumas of KRON4 News, the Sixers rejected an offer that included guard Malcolm Brogdon and a first-round pick going from Indiana to Philly for Simmons.

Speculation regarding Simmons' future with the 76ers has run rampant since he performed poorly during the second round of the playoffs and the top-seeded Sixers were surprisingly eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks.

The 24-year-old Simmons was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft, and while he has done some good things during his career, he hasn't blossomed into a great offensive player.

He owns career averages of 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game, although those numbers were down this season to the tune of 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists.

Despite that, Simmons was named an All-Star for the third consecutive season, and he finished second to Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Simmons is an elite defender and quality playmaker, but those traits weren't enough to mask his deficiencies during the Sixers' playoff run this season.

In 12 postseason contests, Simmons averaged just 11.9 points to go along with 8.8 assists and 7.9 rebounds. He did shoot 62.1 percent from the field, but he attempted less than eight shots per game and converted a mere 34.2 percent of his free-throw attempts as well.

Simmons had an especially difficult time against Atlanta in the second round, averaging only 9.9 points per game and not attempting a shot in the fourth quarter of any of the final four games of the series.

While Simmons has largely underachieved during his NBA career, the 28-year-old Brogdon is a classic overachiever.

A second-round pick out of Virginia by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2016, Brogdon shockingly won the NBA Rookie of the Year award—Simmons missed the entire year with an injury.

Brogdon was traded from Milwaukee to Indiana in 2019, and he has made huge strides since that move.

He is coming off the best statistical season of his career, averaging 21.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.6 three-pointers made per game in 56 contests. He also shot 45.3 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from beyond the arc and 86.4 percent from the free-throw line.

In many ways, Brogdon is a polar-opposite player to Simmons, as he thrives from a scoring perspective, especially from three-point range and the charity stripe, while his defense and playmaking lag behind a bit.

Brogdon is a somewhat unheralded player compared to Simmons, but it can be argued he is a better fit for what the Sixers need in terms of being a scoring guard who can complement center Joel Embiid.

If the Sixers did indeed turn down such an offer from Indiana, it suggests they still see a great deal of potential in Simmons and value the fact that he is only 24 years old.

The Indiana Pacers rehired Rick Carlisle as their new head coach to replace Nate Bjorkgren, who was fired after the 2020-21 NBA season, on Thursday.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported Carlisle, who stepped down from the same position with the Dallas Mavericks last week, agreed to a four-year, $29 million contract. The 61-year-old previously served as Indiana's head coach from 2003 through 2007.

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reported the Pacers didn't go through a "diverse" hiring process, and the belief around the league was that the job was always Carlisle's. 

"It's a team of skilled, unselfish guys that play hard," Carlisle told MacMahon. "It's always possible that moves could be made before the season, but I think [general manager Kevin Pritchard] and I are both very excited about getting the roster healthy and seeing what this team can be."

"It's hard to put an exact finger on it," Carlisle added, per MacMahon. "It's just a feeling that I had that it would be mutually beneficial. My hope is that Jason Kidd will be the next coach of the Mavs because he and Luka have so many things in common as players."

The Pacers made back-to-back appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014. Although they came up short against the star-studded Miami Heat on both occasions, it appeared the team's championship window was open for the first time since the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Indiana could never take that next step, though. It's failed to advance beyond the first round since those trips to the conference finals despite five postseason appearances over the past seven years. Paul George, the cornerstone during those deep playoff runs, left the franchise in a 2017 trade.

Frank Vogel, who guided the Pacers from 2011 through 2016, was allowed to leave when his contract expired. He coached the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA championship last year.

Vogel was replaced by Nate McMillan, who posted a 183-136 regular-season record across four seasons, but the team went 3-16 in the playoffs under his guidance.

Bjorkgren was hired last October but lasted just a single season. Indiana went 34-38 and missed the postseason, leading to the third coaching change in five years.

"The 2020-21 season was not what any of us hoped or anticipated it would be, and our results on the court certainly did not meet the standards for what our organization and our fans have come to expect," Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said.

The Pacers have a rock-solid group of starters—Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert, T.J. Warren, Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner—and they're all under 30. But whether they feature enough high-end star power to seriously contend for a title is unclear as Carlisle takes over the coaching staff.

Carlisle posted a 555-478 record across 11 seasons with the Mavs, and he guided the franchise to an NBA championship in 2011. In addition to his time in Dallas and Indiana, he also spent two years as head coach of the Detroit Pistons from 2001 through 2003. Carlisle was an assistant with the Pacers for three seasons under Larry Bird before joining the Pistons.

His career coaching mark stands at 836-689 in the regular season and 63-70 in the playoffs.

Indiana should be a playoff team given the talent on its roster, and Bjorkgren's inability to hit that baseline benchmark led to his quick departure. It does put a little extra pressure on the new coach to get the franchise back moving in the right direction right away.