Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers agreed to a two-year contract with center James Wiseman in free agency on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wiseman, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors, spent parts of the past two seasons with the Detroit Pistons.

The Pistons declined to tender Wiseman a qualifying offer last week, which made him an unrestricted free agent.

The 23-year-old appeared in a career-high 63 games last season, starting six of them. He averaged 7.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per contest, while shooting 61.3 percent from the field for a rebuilding Pistons team.

When he entered the league in 2020, Wiseman did so with plenty of fanfare behind him, as the Warriors used a rare high draft pick to take him second overall out of Memphis.

Golden State was among the worst teams in the league the previous season due to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both missing most of the campaign due to injuries, and it used it as an opportunity to add a talented 7-footer to its roster.

Unfortunately for Wiseman, injuries plagued his time in Golden State, as he was limited to 39 games in his rookie season and missed the entire 2021-22 campaign, which concluded with the Dubs winning a championship.

After appearing in 21 games for the Warriors in 2022-23, he was traded to the Pistons that season, and he played the best basketball of his career.

In 24 games with Detroit during the 2022-23 season, he averaged 12.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, which would have been career highs extrapolated over the course of an entire year.

As a result, expectations were high entering last season, but Wiseman was never a substantial part of head coach Monty Williams' rotation.

In Indiana, Wiseman will land with a Pacers team that exceeded expectations last season by going 47-35 and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.

He will be clearly behind Myles Turner, Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin in the frontcourt rotation, but he has a chance to carve out a meaningful role as the No. 2 center.

Jalen Smith averaged 9.9 points 5.5 rebounds per game in that spot for the Pacers last season, and in the wake of him signing with the Chicago Bulls in free agency, Wiseman can now step in.

Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton has predicted that John Cena will be winning Saturday's Royal Rumble.

Haliburton made his prediction during the Royal Rumble Kickoff show on Friday while flanked by Michael Cole and Pat McAfee.

The two-time All-Star also revealed that he'll be in attendance for the event, which will take place at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL's Colts.

Haliburton is a bit busy earlier in the evening, though, as his Pacers host the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. in Gainbridge Fieldhouse. He'll be a bit late with the festivities kicking off at 6 p.m.

Haliburton is a huge pro wrestling fan, and he's made appearances on WWE television in recent years, including a showdown with New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson in June 2024.

He then appeared on NXT last September to help facilitate a NXT Title Match contract between then champion Ethan Page and Trick Williams.

We'll see if Haliburton will be anything more than an observer Saturday soon enough when the Royal Rumble kicks off in Indianapolis. At the very least, we know he'll be rooting for Cena as the legend's retirement tour continues. If Cena wins, he'll join Stone Cold Steve Austin as the only WWE Superstars to win the Royal Rumble three separate times.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode below.

The surging Indiana Pacers have made themselves an interesting team to watch leading up to the NBA trade deadline, but they are unlikely to deal from their current top seven players if there's a move to be made.

Per The Athletic's Fred Katz, Obi Toppin's name has come up in discussions between the Pacers and opposing teams, but there's not "much traction" in those talks at this point.

Katz also noted Andrew Nembhard is a player opposing teams are very interested in, but the Pacers aren't interested in dealing him right now.

The offseason seems more likely when we will see the Pacers look to make moves. They could be pushing up against the tax threshold with $222.8 million in cap allocations for the 2025-26 season.

Paying the tax is not something Pacers governor Herb Simon is accustomed to doing. Katz wrote they haven't operated in the luxury tax since 2005 "when salaries were a fraction of what they are today and rules for tax teams were more manageable."

This suggests that there could be roster changes in Indiana after this season. It could also limit any potential moves the team makes before the trade deadline since they are operating just $147,335 under the threshold right now.

Toppin would seem like one of the first players the Pacers look to move. He's in the first season of a four-year, $58 million extension. The 26-year-old is a useful contributor off the bench for head coach Rick Carlisle, but he's not among the most essential players on the roster.

Nembhard absolutely is an essential piece for the Pacers. He's one of their top defenders, while averaging career-highs in scoring average (10.6 points per game) and assists (5.2) this season.

The Pacers gave Nembhard a three-year, $59 million extension last offseason that kicks in with the 2025-26 season.

After a slow start this season, the Pacers are playing more like the team that made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. They have won 11 of their last 14 games and sit in fifth place in the East standings.

It sounds like another veteran center is off the board for the Los Angeles Lakers as the Feb. 6 trade deadline draws nearer.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Thursday that "the prevailing leaguewide sense" is that the Indiana Pacers "do not want to trade" longtime center Myles Turner, who was rumored to be a candidate to be moved before next week's deadline.

Turner is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, so the Pacers are risking the possibility of losing him for nothing on the open market. Still, Stein added that there's "a strong belief among some league personnel that Indiana would need to see proposals that return a starting-level center to even consider the notion" of trading him.

The Lakers have been known to be seeking an upgrade at center for quite some time. Star big man Anthony Davis even told ESPN's Shams Charania that he feels he's more effective when he's allowed to play power forward. The franchise reportedly heard his message loud and clear.

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, trading for another center "has become even more of a priority for the Lakers" following Davis' comments.

However, Los Angeles will have to make a major offer to Indiana if it wants to convince to team to let go of Turner before the deadline passes.

Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin "is being monitored by nearly every team seen as a buyer at the deadline," according to the Los Angeles Times' Dan Woike.

Woike reported the Pacers are believed to have a high price tag for Mathurin as they sit fifth in the Eastern Conference at 26-20. Indiana could want "a player it values while trying to recoup the first-round pick it spent on Mathurin."

The 22-year-old is averaging 16.4 points and 5.9 rebounds, and he's shooting 47.1 percent overall and 36.4 percent on three-pointers.

A sixth man for most of his first two years on the Pacers, Mathurin has become a regular starter at the 3 for head coach Rick Carlisle.

A trade involving the 6'6" wing felt much more likely before the 2024-25 season tipped off. HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported in June that "rival executives have inquired about [Mathurin] and Jarace Walker," only to be rebuffed by Indiana.

The team's performance would seemingly lessen the odds of a swap. Dealing Mathurin only makes sense if the Pacers are getting an immediate upgrade, somebody who can help them bridge the gap on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks.

Granted, his restricted free agency in 2026 is likely to be more and more of a consideration for the front office.

Assuming he declines the qualifying offer, Indiana will have the right to match an offer sheet he signs with another team that offseason. Re-signing Mathurin may not be a straightforward decision, though, when the collective bargaining agreement is so financially constraining.

Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam combine to make nearly $98 million by themselves for the 2026-27 season, and that's the second year of Andrew Nembhard's $58.7 million extension.

For Indiana, there might be a better way to invest the money it will take to keep Mathurin around long term.

Because he's still more than a year away from free agency, it's difficult to see how that calculation is made before the Feb. 6 deadline, however.

The Indiana Pacers are reportedly hesitant about giving their veteran center a big extension this offseason.

Per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, Myles Turner's future with the Pacers could be in question due to his impending free agency and a potential disconnect in contract talks.

"It's specifically just a basic contract situation of he is about to be an unrestricted free agent and he's going to want $30-plus million and I've heard Indiana is not sure if they want to give him $30-plus million," Buha said on his YouTube channel on Saturday (40:00 mark). "If they don't, then from an asset management perspective, it makes sense to trade him and get something back for him."

Buha also noted earlier this week that he's heard "a little bit of chatter" about the Pacers' willingness to trade Turner.

Turner, a 10-year veteran who has played his entire career with Indiana, is in the final season of a two-year, $58 million extension he signed in 2023. While some of his numbers have trailed off, he's still been great for the Pacers, putting up 15.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, the fifth-best mark in the league.

A handful of teams would likely put in an offer for Turner if he were to become available, and the Los Angeles Lakers would presumably be among the interested squads. Los Angeles is on the cusp of being a contender but is likely at least one move away. Earlier this week, Lakers star Anthony Davis said that move should be adding to the frontcourt.

"I think we need another big," Davis told ESPN's Shams Charania. "I feel like I've always been at my best when I've been the 4, having a big out there."

It might be tough to land Turner given that the Lakers don't have much trade capital, but putting the big man next to Davis and LeBron James would make Los Angeles a team to watch in the Western Conference.

There has reportedly been some talk within league circles that Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner could become available ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.

Speaking on his YouTube channel (beginning at the 2-minute mark), Jovan Buha of The Athletic said he has heard "a little bit of chatter" regarding the Pacers' willingness to trade Turner:

Buha noted that if the Pacers do trade Turner, it will be because of his contract situation, as he is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season after signing a two-year, $58 million extension in 2023.

The Pacers made a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, and although they are not among the upper echelon of teams in the East this season, they are still in the thick of the playoff race in fifth place with a 24-20 record.

Indiana doesn't feel like a legitimate championship contender ahead of the Eastern Conference's elite teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks, but the Pacers are also in a favorable enough position where becoming a seller would perhaps miff their fans.

With that said, trading Turner could perhaps net them a tantalizing package of players and draft picks to help them in the future, plus they could potentially use some of those pieces to make another deal that would help them this season.

The 28-year-old Turner is one of the NBA's most versatile centers, excelling as both a shooter and rim protector.

A two-time NBA blocks leader, Turner is averaging 15.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.5 assists in 41 starts this season.

Perhaps most impressively, Turner continues to expand his offensive range, as he is averaging a career-high 2.0 three-pointers made per game on career-best 39.6 percent shooting from deep.

Turner would likely garner a ton of interest from teams across the league on the trade market, but Buha singled out the Los Angeles Lakers as a team that should go all in on trying to acquire him.

Buha, who is primarily a Lakers reporter, suggested that Turner would be a perfect fit alongside Anthony Davis in L.A. since he could help Davis on the interior defensively, while also spreading the floor offensively.

It is unclear if the Lakers have the pieces needed to make a Turner trade happen, but a core of Davis, Turner and LeBron James would perhaps make them one of the toughest outs during the Western Conference playoffs.

The NBA announced Wednesday it suspended Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin for one game without pay.

Mathurin was suspended for "making inappropriate contact with and verbally abusing a game official" during his team's 127-117 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. He will sit out Thursday's game against the Detroit Pistons.

Mathurin was ejected from the game and issued a rare three technicals during a single contest.

As Jack Maloney of CBS Sports explained, he was called for a foul on Evan Mobley in the fourth quarter and started to complain to referee Natalie Sago. As she went to the scorer's table to confirm the call, the guard clapped in her face and bumped her as he was complaining.

He was issued two technicals and ejected, bringing his total to three.

Mathurin was also given a technical foul for hanging on the rim after a dunk earlier in the game.

"The heat of the game kind of got me heated," he told reporters in the aftermath.

The first technical foul was questionable at best, although Maloney noted crew chief Zach Zarba told a pool reporter it was assessed because Mathurin was "doing a pull-up or a chin-up on the rim where his whole head was above the rim."

Had it not been for the ejection and three technicals, it would have been a solid night for Mathurin. He finished with 19 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block while shooting 8-of-12 from the field and 3-of-6 from deep.

It wasn't enough to defeat the Cavaliers, but it was an impressive performance against the team atop the Eastern Conference standings.

Mathurin will look to play well again when he returns to the lineup for Indiana's game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton reflected on his inconsistency to open the 2024-25 season.

"I got too caught up in outside noise and allowing myself to think such negative thoughts about myself internally," Haliburton told Jared Weiss and Sam Amick of The Athletic. "It was the first time in my life that I had real self-doubt behind everything I was doing. … I feel like my personal struggles were leading to the team's struggles. A lot of our games early, that we were right there to win, I just wasn't playing my best basketball and I think that was taking away from us winning games."

The point guard also brought up criticism that the Pacers faced on social media after they started the year with a 9-14 record through 23 games.

"[Fans] can't wait for a team to be doing bad so people can dunk on you on Twitter, you know what I mean? The s--t is so stupid," Haliburton said, per Weiss and Amick. "It's just part of it. People want to see us not do well so they can talk s--t."

Expectations were high for the 24-year-old entering the regular season, as he made All-Star appearances in each of the prior two years and helped lead Indiana to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance to wrap up the team's 2023-24 campaign.

Haliburton struggled out of the gate, averaging 15.3 points and 8.5 assists per game while shooting just 37.5 percent from the field and 28.4 percent from three-point territory through his first 15 appearances.

Health may have played a role in his slow start, as Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor reported on Nov. 5 that the 24-year-old was dealing with back spasms that lingered from Indiana's prior postseason run.

Haliburton has looked more like his former self as of late, recording 19.5 points and 9.6 assists per game on 48.1/40.7/84.3 shooting splits over his past 15 starts. It's not a coincidence that the Pacers hold a record of 11-4 and own the third-best offensive rating in the association over that same span (via NBA.com).

Indiana still sits at No. 7 in the East with a 20-18 overall record, but the resurgence of Haliburton as well as the team's offense gives the Pacers a bright outlook for the remainder of the regular season.

The Indiana Pacers will acquire center Thomas Bryant in an upcoming trade with the Miami Heat, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Friday.

The deal will involve a second-round pick swap, per Charania.

Bryant is playing on a one-year, $2 million contract and becomes eligible for a trade on Sunday.

Appearing in 10 games so far this season, Bryant has averaged 4.1 points in 11.5 minutes per night while serving as a backup to Heat center Bam Adebayo.

The trade will help the Heat in the franchise's bid to stay below the second luxury tax apron.

The exchange will save the Heat $4.7 million against the tax, leaving them $3.7 million below the second apron, per ESPN's Bobby Marks. The Heat also gained a $2.1 million trade exception by trading Bryant, per Marks.

The deal will meanwhile leave the Heat with just 13 roster players. Miami will need to get back to the 14-man minimum within two weeks.

The deal meanwhile leaves the Pacers just below the luxury tax, according to Marks.

The Pacers have 15 roster players and could make another deal in order to send out some salary.

Kevin Love has served as Adebayo's primary backup since the Heat acquired him in a midseason trade with the Cleveland Guardians last campaign.

The addition of Kel'el Ware in the 2024 NBA draft added another option behind Love and made Bryant a movable option for a team in need of moving out some salary.

Bryant could now get more playing opportunities in Indiana, where the Pacers have been hunting for a backup to play behind Myles Turner since losing Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman to Achilles injuries.

Obi Toppin has been backing up Turner in Jackson and Wiseman's place. Adding Bryant could allow Toppin to return to his true position at forward.

The Pacers play on Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, but will have to wait until at least Sunday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans to potentially add Bryant to the lineup.