Pacers, Center Rotation, Nets, Egor Demin, Restricted Free Agency Watch

Pacers

With longtime center Myles Turner now in Milwaukee, the Pacers will look to replace him by committee, team president Chad Buchanan said during a recent appearance on the Setting The Pace podcast.

Indiana re-signed big men Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman earlier this month, added Jay Huff via trade with the Grizzlies, and brought in Tony Bradley on a non-guaranteed deal. While all four players are in the mix, the final roster could come down to health.

Jackson and Wiseman are both recovering from Achilles injuries, but if cleared, they’re expected to be locks for the regular season rotation. Bradley, meanwhile, may be the odd man out if the group remains healthy heading into the fall.

Buchanan noted that the Pacers have tracked Huff for some time, dating back to a G League playoff performance against Indiana’s affiliate. The 27-year-old showed flashes in Memphis last season and fits the mold of a modern floor-spacing, rim-running center.

“Watching him in Memphis this year when he got his opportunity, he really shined,” Buchanan said, via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “He had moments of running the floor, finishing lobs, shooting threes, protecting the rim… We felt like what we were losing in Myles and what Jay provided — his IQ, his feel — were really good fits for the way we play.”

The Pacers are also optimistic about what Jackson and Wiseman can provide. Buchanan said Jackson offers a different look in the frontcourt, while Wiseman remains a long-term project they believe in.

“He’s in a great spot physically,” Buchanan said of Wiseman. “He still has to go through the hurdles of playing in a 5-on-5 game, but we’re very encouraged with where his recovery is going.”

Nets

The Nets got an extended look at rookie guard Egor Demin during Summer League, and while the 19-year-old showed promise as a shooter, scouts were split on his overall performance.

Demin shot an impressive 43.5 percent from three in Las Vegas on nearly eight attempts per game. But his opportunities to create with the ball were limited, and he finished with just four assists to nine turnovers across his appearances.

“I felt a lot of physicality the past couple weeks, probably even more in practices with my teammates,” Demin said, via Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Everybody wants to make each other better in practices, so the intensity was really high.”

Demin, a 6-foot-9 guard out of BYU, was viewed as a potential playmaker heading into the draft. But questions remain about his ability to separate from defenders, his handle, and whether his slight frame will hold up against NBA-level athletes.

Nets Summer League coach Steve Hetzel acknowledged those areas for growth but stressed the organization is focused on long-term development.

“You’re going to see a massive change from Year 1 to Year 2 in his strength and how he plays,” Hetzel said. “There’s no worry. He has such a good frame.”

RFA Watch

NBA insider Jake Fischer shared the latest on the restricted free agent market during a live stream with Bleacher Report on Thursday. The four unsigned names: Cam Thomas, Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, and Quentin Grimes.

Fischer said he expects Thomas, Kuminga, and Grimes to eventually sign short-term deals with their current teams — possibly including team or player options — rather than full long-term contracts.

Giddey remains the exception. While a longer-term agreement with Chicago isn’t out of the question, Fischer called the negotiations between Giddey and the Bulls the “most strained” of the four situations so far.

A source also told Hoops Wire that Giddey is not happy with the way things are going down. (Full story.)

As of now, none of the four are expected to come to terms this month. The longer the standoff continues, the more likely it is that at least one of them — particularly Thomas or Kuminga — ends up playing out the season on the qualifying offer.

More NBA News & Rumors