Iowa State basketball's hometown hero is headed to Indianapolis.
Tamin Lipsey signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Pacers as an undrafted free agent after the conclusion of the 2026 NBA Draft on June 24.
The former Cyclones star will get his NBA shot after growing up in Ames and setting a program record 137 career starts over his four years at Iowa State. The Indiana Pacers are headlined by Iowa State product, two-time NBA All-Star Tyrese Haliburton.
He worked out for at least 10 NBA teams during the pre-draft process, including the Pacers, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics. He also participated in the NBA G League Combine and the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound point guard helped fill a void upon his arrival as a freshman after Tyrese Hunter opted to transfer from Iowa State after a Big 12 Freshman of the Year campaign. Lipsey inherited the starting point guard spot from and quickly endeared himself to fans as an Ames native suiting up for the Cyclones. He further cemented himself as a fan favorite over the years with his defensive prowess, toughness, leadership and hustle.

As the new general manager of the Chicago Bulls, Bryson Graham overhauls a roster with plenty of shortcomings, Memphis native Kam Jones finds himself in the mix and is headed to Bulls.
On the second day of the 2026 NBA Draft, the Bulls traded for Jones along with a pick swap and cash from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for the No. 38 overall selection, guard Braden Smith of Purdue.
Jones grew up in Memphis and was a star for Evangelical Christian School. He later played for AAU powerhouse Team Thad.
Jones, 24, was drafted in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft. He had an up-and-down rookie season with the Pacers and averaged 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds through 37 games.
Jones missed the start of the 2025-26 season with a stress reaction in his lower back that happened in the offseason. Jones' whims continued after he was arrested for reckless driving and resisting arrest in October of 2025. He publicly apologized.

The Pacers traded into the second round of the 2025 draft to get backcourt depth. Now they're trading the guard they got in that draft to get into the second round of the 2026 draft to get another point guard
The Pacers traded Kam Jones -- taken with the No. 38 pick in the 2025 draft after the Pacers acquired that selection from the Spurs -- to the Bulls along with two pick swaps for the No. 38 pick in the 2026 draft and used that selection to take Purdue All-American, Westfield High School star and 2022 Indiana Mr. Basketball Braden Smith. Smith led Purdue to Sweet 16s in each of his last three seasons and finished with an NCAA Division I record 1,103 career **** ists, 8.8 per game.
The Pacers had hoped that Jones would be a fixture as a bench guard after he earned second-team All-America honors as a senior at Marquette, but a lower back injury derailed the early portion of his rookie season and the Pacers didn't see as much progress as they would have liked once he got on the floor. Jones averaged 4.4 points per game as a rookie on 40.2% shooting including 29.3% from 3-point range. He averaged 3.2 **** ists per game against 1.0 turnovers.
In Smith, the Pacers get the shortest and lightest player who was invited to the NBA Draft Combine at 5-10 1/4, 166 pounds. However, they've seen in T.J. McConnell that undersized point guards can be effective, especially in a bench role. With McConnell now 34 years old, the Pacers have to expect they'll need to replace him in the rotation at some point and it's still helpful to have four point guard options on the roster.
Like McConnell, Smith is limited in the defensive matchups he can take, but he can take ball-handlers at the point of attack and he's one of the best distributors in college basketball history. He can also get to the rim and shoot from outside so Smith can also brings points as a depth piece in the backcourt. He averaged 15.8 points per game as a junior and 14.3 per game as a senior, earning first-team All-America honors in each of those two seasons.

It seemed like it was going to be a quiet day on the Marquette To NBA front as there was no chance of Ben Gold or Chase Ross getting selected in Wednesday night’s second round of the NBA Draft. However, Indiana Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan and Chicago Bulls general manager Stephen Mervis had different ideas. After Chicago selected Purdue guard Braden Smith with the 8th pick of the second round and the 38th pick overall, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania broke some news on a trade:
Former Marquette guard Kam Jones is headed to the Windy City.
Indiana is trading Jones to the Bulls along with some yet to be revealed future pick swaps and cash in exchange for the draft rights to Smith.
Jones was the #38 pick one year ago, technically being selected by San Antonio before a trade that was finalized after the fact sent him to the Pacers, much like this trade will eventually be finalized because the NBA rules about the league schedule are weird and bad. Marquette’s #2 all time leading scorer appeared in 37 games for Indiana this past season as the Pacers went 19-63 with Tyrese Haliburton out for the year after suffering an Achilles tear in the 2025 NBA Finals. Jones started seven times along the way and ended up averaging 4.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 3.2 ******* ists in 16.6 minutes per game. One thing that did not help Jones’ playing time was his 29.3% three-point shooting, and that was dragged down by shooting just 25% in Indiana’s final seven games of the season.
After being taken in the second round last year, Jones signed a three year contract with the Pacers that has a fourth season on a team option. In theory, that means that the Bulls are up for the idea of continuing Jones’ development for at least another two seasons. I would wager it means we will see him in Chicago black & red when Summer League pops up in July. Where things go from there as Tiago Splitter takes over as head coach and the Bulls move on from the front office pairing of Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley, we will have to wait and see…..

Braden Smith spent four seasons with Purdue basketball proving all the power conference programs who overlooked him missed out.
Now the former Boilermaker point guard has a chance to do the same in the NBA.
Smith, a Westfield native, is headed to the Pacers after Indiana traded for him when the Chicago Bulls selected him with the 38th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, a source confirmed to IndyStar.
Smith is Purdue's third draft pick in five years, joining lottery picks Jaden Ivey and Zach Edey among a group of now 11 NBA draft selections to play at Purdue under Matt Painter.
Here's a look at Smith's Purdue career and what he brings to the Pacers.

Braden Smith spent four seasons with Purdue basketball proving all the power conference programs who overlooked him missed out.
Now the former Boilermaker point guard has a chance to do the same in the NBA.
Smith, a Westfield native, is headed to the Pacers after Indiana traded for him when the Chicago Bulls selected him with the 38th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, a source confirmed to IndyStar.
Smith is Purdue's third draft pick in five years, joining lottery picks Jaden Ivey and Zach Edey among a group of now 11 NBA draft selections to play at Purdue under Matt Painter.
Here's a look at Smith's Purdue career and what he brings to the Pacers.

Michael Scotto: Sources: The Indiana Pacers are trading Kam Jones, futures pick swaps, and cash to the Chicago Bulls to select Braden Smith with the No. 38 pick.
x.com
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Indiana Pacers are trading Kam Jones, futures pick …

Braden Smith spent four seasons with Purdue basketball proving all the power conference programs who overlooked him missed out.
Now the former Boilermaker point guard has a chance to do the same in the NBA in his home state.
Smith is headed to the Pacers after the Chicago Bulls selected him with the 38th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and traded Smith's draft rights to Indiana.
Smith is Purdue's third draft pick in five years, joining lottery picks Jaden Ivey and Zach Edey among a group of now 11 NBA draft selections to play at Purdue under Matt Painter.
Here's a look at Smith's Purdue career and what he brings to the Pacers.

INDIANAPOLIS -- If the Pacers are still interested in trading into Wednesday night's second round of the NBA Draft, they apparently have windows to do so.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday that the Knicks and Grizzlies, who hold the No. 31 and No. 32 overall picks which are the first and second choices of the second round, are "actively fielding offers" for those selections. Charania called those picks "up for auction" with "future ****** ets being proposed."
The Pacers didn't make a pick in the first round and they don't have a pick in the second round but Jake Fischer of Stein Line reported last week that the Pacers were interested in trading into the 30s. They could use future draft compensation to get in and they could also trade an active player -- possibly forward Jarace Walker or Ben Sheppard -- to a team with cap room or a trade exception to shed money to help in upcoming free agency.
Among the top-rated players remaining on the board in the second round are Duke wing Isaiah Evans, North Carolina center Henri Veesaar, Purdue guard Braden Smith, Houston guard Emanuel Sharp and Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas.

Duke tends to rank among the universities with the most NBA draft picks, as a recent wave of Duke prospects, including both Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, have turned heads since entering the NBA. However, over the years, there have been many Duke alumni considered busts after their NBA careers didn't quite go as planned.
A recent list made by Bleacher Report ranked the top 99 draft busts of all time between the four major sports (NBA, MLB, NFL and NHL), and there were three former Duke basketball players on the list.
Jabari Parker was ranked 57th on Bleacher Report's list after being selected No. 2 overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2014. After one tremendous campaign with the Blue Devils, averaging 19.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.2 **** ists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks, hopes were high for Parker entering the draft. Unfortunately for Parker, injuries got the better of him throughout his NBA career, tearing his left ACL twice in nearly three years. While Parker did average over 20 points per game in one of his eight NBA seasons, his numbers took a huge hit following the 2019-20 season, ending his NBA career much sooner than originally anticipated. The 31-year-old is still active today, playing for Partizan Belgrade of the EuroLeague.
In the draft class following Parker's, Duke produced another top-three pick in Jahlil Okafor, who went No. 3 overall to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2015. After a dominant rookie campaign, averaging 17.5 points per game, seven rebounds, 1.2 **** ists and 1.2 blocks, Okafor would never be the same player again. This was due in large part due to how quickly the NBA changed, setting aside long post-up possessions in the paint and adopting a heavy dose of transition 3-pointers early in the shot clock. After three seasons away from the NBA from 2021 to 2024, Okafor came back to appear in one game for the Indiana Pacers but played just three minutes. Okafor was recently at Coach K's "K-Camp" this summer and most recently played professionally in **** an for Levanga Hokkaido.
Although Parker and Okafor were great for Duke, one could certainly argue that Marvin Bagley III was even better. In his lone season with Duke, Bagley III averaged 21 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.5 **** ists, 0.9 blocks and 0.8 steals while shooting over 61% from the field. This led to him being named the No. 2 overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft, ahead of future stars like Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Starting out with the Kings, Bagley has yet to surpass the points, rebounds and **** ists numbers he put up as a rookie. While Bagley III didn't live up to the original hype, he hasn't had a bad career by any means, still playing in the NBA and averaging 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.3 **** ists over eight seasons.

The trade that has held the NBA hostage for more than a year (or longer) has finally happened: Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat.
But there was another trade that had an impact on the Pacers: Minnesota sending Julius Randle (and his salary) to the Brooklyn Nets. It freed up the money for the Timberwolves to agree to a 5-year, $112-million deal with free agent Ayo Dosunmu, according to ESPN.
Dosunmu would have been a perfect fit for the Pacers but his signing for more than the non-taxpayer exception put him out of their reach.
We'll be using this live story to track and update all the news that could affect the Pacers and their decision-making as they head towards the draft and then the formal opening of free agency. Follow this for updates.
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.

The biggest trade of the NBA summer and one of the biggest in recent memory went right about midnight on Monday going into Tuesday. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP, one-time Finals MVP and champion, 10-time All-Star and nine-time All-NBA pick, was traded from the Bucks to the Heat along with Bobby Portis for Tyler Herro, Jamie Jaquez, former IU center Kel'El Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, one pick swap and a second-rounder. Among the first-rounders is the Heat's No. 13 pick in the 2026 draft according to the report from ESPN's Shams Charania.
Charania reported that the Celtics tried for Antetokounmpo with a package that included All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown and two first-round draft picks, but Miami ultimately had more draft capital it could move as the Bucks commit to a full rebuild.
Considering the options, the Pacers couldn't have asked for a much better outcome. It would have been better for Indiana if the Bucks were able to ship Antetokounmpo to the Western Conference but that wasn't on the table. Given that, it helps the Pacers that he's out of their division, that one of their division rivals is entering a full-rebuild, and that Antetokounmpo didn't go to Boston to build a Death Star with Jayson Tatum as the Celtics might have been able to claim the top two players in the Eastern Conference.
Miami immediately becomes a contender with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo as the center pieces, but they're not necessarily a complete team and there's a lot they have to do to build around those two. At some point, the Heat probably win a ***** le with those two, but there's still a window for the Pacers and they can compete with that group with the players they have. In a sense, they dodged a bullet in a trade discussion they weren't involved in.
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.

John Haliburton has always been the biggest fan of his son, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton.
His fandom sent him overboard at the end of a 2025 NBA playoff series, when he faced Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court and waved a towel baring his son's image. Tyrese Haliburton had just capped a last-minute comeback in overtime as the Pacers clinched the series.
John Haliburton faced a lot of criticism for that, including a brief absence from Pacers playoff games, and he apologized to Antetokounmpo. Also, Tyrese Haliburton apologized for his father's behavior.
In a new article by NBA blogger Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, the elder Haliburton said he wishes his son had handled that differently.
"When Tyrese stood up and told the media that I was wrong, I disagreed with him," John Haliburton said. "I told him: 'As long as I live, don’t ever tell anyone publicly that your dad is wrong. Never do that again. If you feel like I’m wrong, that is between me and you in private.' Just like if my son does something wrong, the world will never hear it from me. He will know it because I’ll talk to him directly, but the media and the public will never know."

John Haliburton has always been the biggest fan of his son, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton.
His fandom sent him overboard at the end of a 2025 NBA playoff series, when he faced Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court and waved a towel baring his son's image. Tyrese Haliburton had just capped a last-minute comeback in overtime as the Pacers clinched the series.
John Haliburton faced a lot of criticism for that, including a brief absence from Pacers playoff games, and he apologized to Antetokounmpo. Also, Tyrese Haliburton apologized for his father's behavior.
In a new article by NBA blogger Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, the elder Haliburton said he wishes his son had handled that differently.
"When Tyrese stood up and told the media that I was wrong, I disagreed with him," John Haliburton said. "I told him: 'As long as I live, don’t ever tell anyone publicly that your dad is wrong. Never do that again. If you feel like I’m wrong, that is between me and you in private.' Just like if my son does something wrong, the world will never hear it from me. He will know it because I’ll talk to him directly, but the media and the public will never know."

The Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Milwaukee Bucks all have reported potential interest in bringing star Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown onto their rosters, according to recent reporting from HoopsHype senior contributor Michael Scotto. In a sea of reports at times contradicting one another, we hear rumors that teams which have been described elsewhere as uninterested in bringing on the Georgia native have had a change of heart – or at least, an accurate ***** sment of their level of interest in trading for Brown.
Per Scotto, even though "some executives around the league" ***** umed "it would be a foregone conclusion that the Bucks would try to flip Brown to another team to get future first-round draft pick compensation as part of a rebuilding effort, it’s not a certainty."
"If the Celtics indeed acquire Antetokounmpo and Brown ends up going to the Bucks as part of the trade, the Bucks would consider keeping Brown," he adds.
Noting the reported trade interest of the Blazers first shared by the New York Times' Sam Amick, the HoopsHype reporter had other intel on another Western Conference ball club also having interest in acquiring Brown's services.
"The Clippers are also said to be interested in Brown and have future first-round draft picks available to dangle, including the fifth pick in the draft as a potential trade chip, along with a 2029 unprotected first-round draft pick from the Indiana Pacers from the Ivica Zubac trade, should they decide to pursue" the Celtics star.

New details have emerged following the unexpected death of Makenzi Kern, a close friend of Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton's fiancée, Jade Jones. Kern died on June 8 while on a bachelorette trip to St. Barts, celebrating Jones' upcoming wedding, according to family members and reports published this week. She had turned 26 just two days earlier.
The tragedy unfolded during what friends described as a once-in-a-lifetime Caribbean getaway. According to Kern's obituary, she passed away from health complications while surrounded by friends on the island of St. Barthélemy. Furthermore, The New York Post reported that Kern's family does not believe foul play, alcohol, or drugs contributed to her death. The exact circumstances surrounding her death have not been publicly disclosed.
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Kern and Jones developed a close friendship while cheering together at Iowa State University, where Haliburton also played basketball before beginning his NBA career. The trip was intended to celebrate Jones and Haliburton's upcoming August 1 wedding.
Days before the tragedy, Jones shared photos from the vacation showing the group enjoying the beaches and boating excursions around St. Barts, captioning the post, "hopped on a flight to cloud 9."

TimesofIndia. com in Chennai: One of India's biggest concerns in the lead-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup has been their inability to consistently strike in the middle overs. Between overs 20 and 35, when teams often look to consolidate before launching in the death overs, breakthroughs have come only in patches.

The trend has been evident across recent bilateral series. Against Australia, India managed just four wickets in the phase across three matches, while New Zealand exposed the issue further, with India going wicketless in the middle overs in the Rajkot and Indore ODIs, which they eventually lost. South Africa offered a brighter picture as Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna combined for nine wickets across three games.

The Afghanistan series continued the mixed returns. India picked up five wickets in the rain-shortened Dharamsala ODI and another five in Lucknow, but managed only one middle-over wicket in Chennai despite dominating the contest.

Interestingly, with the team management seeming to lose confidence in left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has been India's genuine wicket-taker in the middle overs, Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill will need to find a solution.

Captain Gill believes the answer lies in India's tall fast bowlers: Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana, who he thinks are capable of creating opportunities even when conditions offer little **** istance.

"Honestly, the combination and the kind of bowlers that we are trying to play are part of what we're building. We want to create as many opportunities as we can," Gill told reporters after India sealed a 3-0 win over Afghanistan.

"In that middle phase, we've seen that once the ball gets a little older on a good wicket, with only four fielders outside the circle, batting becomes much easier. That's why we're trying to play bowlers like Prasidh and Harshit. They are tall, fast bowlers who offer us something different.

"At the same time, it's important to give someone like Nitish **** ar Reddy enough overs in the middle, even if we know there might be better options for those conditions who can get us wickets. It's important for players like him to gain confidence going into the World Cup," added Gill.

Gill said India's young fast bowlers are being trained to adapt quickly to different surfaces by identifying the ideal length as early as possible. On red-soil wickets, he wants them to bowl fuller, while black-soil pitches demand slightly shorter lengths.

The emphasis, he said, is on consistently hitting the top-of-off-stump, around the fourth-stump area - the toughest line for batters to score from. India also wants its pacers to use their natural bounce to keep creating wicket-taking opportunities, even if it occasionally results in extra runs.

"It's about **** sing the wicket. Different wickets demand different lengths. On a wicket like this, you have to bowl a little fuller, while on a black-soil wicket, you might h

The Clippers are also said to be interested in Brown and have future first-round draft picks available to dangle, including the fifth pick in the draft as a potential trade chip, along with a 2029 unprotected first-round draft pick from the Indiana Pacers from the Ivica Zubac trade, should they decide to pursue a trade.
HoopsHype
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: The Clippers are also said to be interested in Brown …

Shubman Gill's remarkable purple patch continued on Wednesday as the India captain produced another batting masterclass, prompting high praise from Sunil Gavaskar after India's emphatic ODI series-clinching victory over Afghanistan in Lucknow.

Gill has enjoyed a stunning run of form over the past three weeks, piling up runs across formats and competitions. The 26-year-old began the sequence with a commanding century for Gujarat **** ans against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 before registering his 11th Test hundred in the one-off Test against Afghanistan. He then followed an unbeaten 85 in the rain-affected ODI in Dharamsala with a magnificent 154 in Lucknow as India secured a dominant win.

The latest innings came in challenging conditions and helped set up India's massive total of 402. Gill shared a match-defining 224-run stand with Ishan Kishan, who blasted 125, as the pair completely took the game away from Afghanistan.

Speaking on JioStar's 'Cricket Live' show, Gavaskar said Gill's success with the bat was also having a positive impact on his captaincy.

"When you're not getting runs, you're not confident about making those marginal moves that come from your gut feel, like holding back a bowler who has bowled well, giving him an extra over, or moving a fielder from a certain position. That gut feel is a lot stronger when you're personally performing. But if you're not performing, even when you get a gut feel, you're apprehensive about making that call because you're worried about getting it wrong. Since you're also not performing as a player, you'll be criticised for your captaincy as well," Gavaskar said.

While Gill and Kishan stole the spotlight with the bat, India's young fast bowlers also played a key role in completing the victory. Afghanistan were dismissed for 232, with rookie pacers Gurnoor Brar and Prince Yadav combining for five wickets.

Gavaskar was particularly impressed by Brar's performance, praising both his bowling rhythm and ability to trouble batters with steep bounce.

"His run-up is so good, his rhythm is so good, he was hitting the deck and getting the ball to climb. The wicket he got of Gurbaz was particularly impressive because of the way that bouncer followed him. It's very accurate. It comes right at you, exactly where the batter does not want it. I think the selection committee deserves all the compliments. If you look at his stats, or his India A performances, they're okay, but not to the extent where you would say he deserved an India cap. However, the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, saw something in him, and that's why they picked him. He's also been backed by the management, which is so important,” added the former India captain.

India's all-round display secured a 170-run victory and gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series, with Gill's outstanding form continuing to be one of the biggest positives for the team.

Lakers named landing spot for $29 million ex-Pacers playoff hero originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Adding a wiry, battle-tested second-unit wing contributor would make perfect sense for the Los Angeles Lakers, as it would allow them to turn to their bench for instant offense more frequently.
An ex-Indiana Pacers playoff hero is ready to hit free agency after finishing the 2025-26 season with the Los Angeles Clippers, and Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus is under the impression that the Lakers could soon get involved.
“Others, like Kelly Oubre Jr., Mitchell Robinson, Marcus Smart, Nikola Vučević, Keon Ellis, Sandro Mamukelashvili, John Collins, Jose Alvarado, and many more, face contract decisions,” Pincus wrote last Saturday.
“The Boston Celtics may be the most likely to move on from Vučević, while the surging New York Knicks would love to bring back Robinson and Alvarado as important pieces on a championship roster. Restricted free agency is also difficult to judge, as the flight risk depends entirely on the teams holding the right of first refusal.”

With the NBA draft right around the corner, now is the time to look at some past drafts and see what the Philadelphia 76ers have done in their history. The Sixers have selected some big-time players in the past who have become an important part of the fabric of the franchise's history.
This edition continues to focus on the 2016 draft as the Sixers used the final of three first-round picks. After selecting Ben Simmons first overall and then Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot at No. 24, the Sixers selected Turkey swingman Furkan Korkmaz with the No. 26 overall pick.
After spending the 2016-17 season overseas, Korkmaz made his debut in the NBA in the 2017-18 season and played in only 14 games as a rookie. He played 48 games in 2018-19--while also making the first of many trade requests--and had his breakthrough in the 2019-20 season when he averaged 9.8 points and shot 40.2% from deep while playing in 72 games with 12 starts.
Overall, Korkmaz requested a trade multiple times as he was unhappy with his playing time at different moments with the Sixers. He ended up spending seven seasons in Philadelphia before finally being sent to the Indiana Pacers at the 2024 deadline in the Buddy Hield deal. He averaged 6.8 points and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 35.6% from deep during his time in the league. He was waived by the Pacers after the trade.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Philadelphia 76ers draft rewind: Selecting Furkan Korkmaz in 2016

The New York Knicks’ first championship in 53 years provided ESPN the most-watched NBA Finals since 1998.
Saturday’s **** le-clinching Game 5 between the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs averaged 24.5 million viewers on ABC, good for the most-watched NBA game since Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors (31.0 million viewers). It was the most-watched Game 5 in an NBA Finals since Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls beating the Utah Jazz in 1998, and the full series was also the most-watched since 1998.
In total, the NBA Finals averaged 20.6 million viewers on ABC (a figure that includes one altcast on ESPN during Game 3), nearly double the figure that last year’s Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers earned despite going a full seven games (10.27 million viewers).
Viewership for Game 5 peaked at 33 million during the closing moments of the Knicks’ win.
Perhaps the most impressive part of this viewership story is the fact that a multi-decade record was set while the series only went five games. Traditionally, a series will have to go six or seven games before approaching record territory. After all, more casual fans are apt to tune in when a series stretches later and later. Bulls-Jazz in 1998, for instance, went six games. Previously, the two most-watched series since 1998 were in 2016 and 2017, which went seven and six games, respectively.

The 2026 NBA Finals were the league’s most-watched championship series since Michael Jordan was on the Bulls.
The five-game series between the Knicks and Spurs averaged 20.6 million viewers on ABC per Nielsen data, ESPN announced Tuesday. It’s the most-watched Finals series on ABC and ESPN networks, and the most-watched NBA ***** le series since the 1998 NBA Finals (29.04 million on NBC).
That series saw Chicago win its sixth ***** le in eight years, and was Jordan’s last series with the Bulls.
The 2026 NBA Finals also drew a 157% increase over last year’s seven-game series between the Thunder and Pacers, which drew just 10.3 million viewers last year, one of the least-watched finals ever.
The series-clinching fifth game drew 24.5 million viewers, the most-watched NBA Finals game since Game 7 of the 2016 Finals between the Cavaliers and the Warriors, which featured LeBron James and Stephen Curry (31 million).

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JUNE 13: Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers reacts during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Four of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 13, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers just won 19 games. They lost a lot, often consecutively. And yet they enter the offseason as contending hopefuls, and for good reasons.
Across the last three NBA postseasons, the Pacers are the only team that has beaten the New York Knicks – the current NBA Champions – in a series. Tyrese Haliburton has yet to lose a best-of-seven set that he finishes healthy. Indiana was a playoff force in 2024 and 2025, and with Haliburton returning from injury next season they hope to be one again in 2027.
“We feel like we have a team [that]… We’re in that [contention] mix when we’re healthy,” Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said earlier in the offseason.
A starting lineup of Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, and Ivica Zubac projects to be quite good. The Pacers still have some questions to answer about their depth, but after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals twice in a row, with one of those runs leading to Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Indiana is hopeful to be a contender again in 2026-27.

INDIANAPOLIS -- One of the first additions to Bryce Taylor's ****** lesville Boom staff was a coach who stayed familiar after leaving the Pacers because he never left town.
Connor McCaffery -- the former Iowa wing, Pacers player development coach and Butler ****** istant who is perhaps most famously known as Fever superstar Caitlin Clark's significant other -- has rejoined the Pacers staff as a Boom ****** istant coach. That was initially reported by Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files.
McCaffery spent two years on Thad Matta's staff at Butler after spending 2023-24 on the Pacers staff. Though he obviously has personal reasons to want to stay in Indianapolis, he has long-term hopes of joining the family business as a coach. His father, Fran, is coming off an Ivy League ****** le and NCAA Tournament berth at Pennsylvania after 15 seasons as head coach at Iowa.
"You can't overlook the impressive basketball bloodline he comes from," Boom general manager Chris Taylor said. "I think from getting to know him I've been so impressed with his legitimate commitment to being a coach and a high-level coach. He has lofty aspirations and he's still young. A lot of times coaches his age, you're like, 'Hey what's your goal here?' And they might be just like, 'I just want to coach.' But he has very strict and kind of guided goals, which is great. His willingness to do anything. He had the player development role, the opportunity over at Butler, now coming back in a G League role, he's just open to any way he can learn and grow."
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.

INDIANAPOLIS -- One of the first additions to Bryce Taylor's **** lesville Boom staff was a coach who stayed familiar after leaving the Pacers because he never left town.
Connor McCaffery -- the former Iowa wing, Pacers player development coach and Butler **** istant who is perhaps most famously known as Fever superstar Caitlin Clark's significant other -- has rejoined the Pacers staff as a Boom **** istant coach. That was initially reported by Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files.
McCaffery spent two years on Thad Matta's staff at Butler after spending 2023-24 on the Pacers staff. Though he obviously has personal reasons to want to stay in Indianapolis, he has long-term hopes of joining the family business as a coach. His father, Fran, is coming off an Ivy League **** le and NCAA Tournament berth at Pennsylvania after 15 seasons as head coach at Iowa.
"You can't overlook the impressive basketball bloodline he comes from," Boom general manager Chris Taylor said. "I think from getting to know him I've been so impressed with his legitimate commitment to being a coach and a high-level coach. He has lofty aspirations and he's still young. A lot of times coaches his age, you're like, 'Hey what's your goal here?' And they might be just like, 'I just want to coach.' But he has very strict and kind of guided goals, which is great. His willingness to do anything. He had the player development role, the opportunity over at Butler, now coming back in a G League role, he's just open to any way he can learn and grow."
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.

Julie Roe Lach, executive vice president of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, will be the guest speaker for Monday’s IndyStar High School Sports Awards at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Roe Lach took on her new role in the fall of 2025 after five years as commissioner of the Horizon League and more than a decade overall with the conference. She also serves as chair of the board of directors of Indiana Sports Corp and is a board member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches **** ociation.
Roe Lach got her start in sports playing basketball at a young age and is a member of the Millikin University Athletics Hall of Fame.
The IndyStar Sports Awards, presented by the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, will celebrate the best of Indiana high school athletics. The sports awards nominees for players of the year in each sport will be announced during the live show, in addition to the winners for fall and winter sports. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 7 p.m. The show will also announce the winners of premier awards such as overall male athlete of the year, overall female athlete of the year, Courage Award, Team of the Year and Coach of the Year.
Theresia Wynns will be honored as the 2026 IndyStar Women’s Sports Trailblazer Award winner. Wynns had a 50-year career in education at the local state and national levels prior to her retirement in 2021. The South Carolina native came to Indianapolis in 1971 and spent the next 26 years as a teacher and administrator in the Indianapolis Public Schools and Warren Township Schools. Wynns officiated the girls’ state basketball championship games in 1977, 1981 and 1986.

Julie Roe Lach, executive vice president of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, will be the guest speaker for Monday’s IndyStar High School Sports Awards at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Roe Lach took on her new role in the fall of 2025 after five years as commissioner of the Horizon League and more than a decade overall with the conference. She also serves as chair of the board of directors of Indiana Sports Corp and is a board member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches ***** ociation.
Roe Lach got her start in sports playing basketball at a young age and is a member of the Millikin University Athletics Hall of Fame.
The IndyStar Sports Awards, presented by the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, will celebrate the best of Indiana high school athletics. The sports awards nominees for players of the year in each sport will be announced during the live show, in addition to the winners for fall and winter sports. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 7 p.m. The show will also announce the winners of premier awards such as overall male athlete of the year, overall female athlete of the year, Courage Award, Team of the Year and Coach of the Year.
Theresia Wynns will be honored as the 2026 IndyStar Women’s Sports Trailblazer Award winner. Wynns had a 50-year career in education at the local state and national levels prior to her retirement in 2021. The South Carolina native came to Indianapolis in 1971 and spent the next 26 years as a teacher and administrator in the Indianapolis Public Schools and Warren Township Schools. Wynns officiated the girls’ state basketball championship games in 1977, 1981 and 1986.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 27: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks huddles with his team during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 27, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The NBA Finals get an attractive matchup this year, although remember, we dont need big markets for a good series, just see Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals last night.
Two teams who many considered to be a year or two away from being in this position will tip off in San Antonio, with the Spurs hosting the New York Knicks tonight in Game 1.
Some good individual matchups will provide some nice betting options. We’ll start with New York and everything you need to know.
Odds courtesy of Caesar’s Sportsbook.

NBA announces 2026 Draft Lottery team representatives, including Vince Carter for the Nets

The NBA announced each representative for the 14 teams in Sunday’s NBA Draft Lottery in Chicago. Those on stage are a mix of former team greats and current NBA stars, along with less exciting front-office executives and, in one case, a family member of team ownership.
The representatives attending the lottery are as follows, listed in alphabetical order by team:
Atlanta Hawks: Onsi Saleh, general manager
Brooklyn Nets: Vince Carter, team legend
Charlotte Hornets: Kon Knueppel
Chicago Bulls: Toni Kukoč, special advisor to team president and CEO
Dallas Mavericks: Rolando Blackman, team legend
Golden State Warriors: Larry Harris, ***** istant GM/director of player personnel
Indiana Pacers: T.J. McConnell
Memphis Grizzlies: Tayshaun Prince, vice president of basketball affairs
Miami Heat: Alonzo Mourning, VP of player programs
Milwaukee Bucks: Mallory Edens, team ownership
Oklahoma City Thunder: Nick Collison, special ***** istant to GM
Sacramento Kings: Scott Perry, GM
Utah Jazz: Keyonte George
Washington Wizards: John Wall, team legend
Some might raise an eyebrow at Vince Carter representing the Nets as a team legend. However, among the eight teams he played for during his Hall of Fame career, his second-longest stint was with the Nets, who were located in New Jersey during his five seasons with the team.
Carter also averaged 23.6 points per game in New Jersey, just higher than the 23.4 he averaged for the Toronto Raptors.

https://sports.yahoo.com/n...