Hoops Rumors

Businessman Steven Rales is expected to become the minority owner of the Pacers, according to a statement from Pacers Sports and Entertainment chairman and owner Herb Simon (Twitter link). “After considerable discussion, Steven is going to become a minority owner of 20 percent of the franchise pending league approval,” Simon said. “The Simon family is as committed to Indiana … [Read more...] about Central Notes: Rales, Cavs, LeVert, Wade, Bogdanovic

As teams battled for a spot in the quarterfinals of the NBA’s first in-season tournament, point differential served as an important tiebreaker. It was used in several instances to determine the winner of a group, a conference’s wild card team, and the seeding of certain quarterfinalists. That sort of tiebreaker is necessary in the round robin stage of an event that sees 30 … [Read more...] about Players, Coaches Gripe About Tournament’s Point Differential Tiebreaker

Frustrated by his slow recovery from a severe right ankle sprain, Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome has adjusted his treatment plan in the hopes of accelerating his return to the court, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link). As Fedor details, Jerome recently had the ankle immobilized within a cast, which he’ll wear for about a week. The hope is that he’ll be able to … [Read more...] about Central Notes: Jerome, Pistons, J. Smith, Connaughton, Bulls

Veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic is expected to be the Pistons trade candidate who generates the most interest from rival teams this season, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who hears from league sources that the club turned down two first-round picks from a contender in an offer for Bogdanovic last season. It’s unclear what sort of protections those first-rounders … [Read more...] about Central Rumors: Pistons, Bulls, Hield, Cavaliers

There’s intense pressure on Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff to win big this season, according to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. The organization believes it has to show that it made the right move by acquiring Donovan Mitchell in the blockbuster with Utah prior to last season. It would also help secure Mitchell’s future with the franchise. Mitchell has an opt-out for the 2025/26 … [Read more...] about Intense Pressure For Bickerstaff To Win This Season