T.J. Ford might take his talents across the pond next season. Continue reading →

Reggie Miller has enjoyed a nice run broadcasting with TNT, but he could have the chance to return to help his former team. Continue reading →

T.J. Ford won’t play another game for the Indiana Pacers unless they’re overcome with injuries. Continue reading…

Former Pacers assistant and Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown is one of the candidates the team will likely pursue this summer. — Indy Star

Wonder if the Pacers would turn to Larry Brown, after firing Jim O’Brien Sunday. Brown desperately wants to coach again and the Pacers have enough talent to get to the post-season. Wouldn’t it be intriguing if Brown was coaching the Pacers, in a duel with the Bobcats for one of the last two playoff spots. — Charlotte Observer

The best thing for the Pacers and T.J. Ford may be for them to cut ties. There’s a possibility it could happen before the Feb. 24 deadline. Ford is a steady point guard. He also has an $8.5 million expiring contract. The Pacers are trying to move Ford now that they feel comfortable with Price and rookie Lance Stephenson as the second and third point guards. Ford declined the Pacers’ offer to buy out his contract for about $3 million less than his current salary last summer. He is receptive to a trade instead of spending the rest of the season on the bench. — Indy Star

Things change quickly in the NBA. At the beginning of last season, T.J. Ford and Brandon Rush made up the Indiana Pacers’ starting backcourt on Opening Night. Today, both Ford and Rush are falling out of Indy’s rotation, and very well could be available for whoever wants them as the February trade deadline approaches. Ford, the 8th-year pro who was once upon a time was knocking on the door as maybe a top-10 point guard in the NBA, has been in and out of coach Jim O’Brien’s doghouse throughout his tenure with the Pacers. In the last few days Ford (5.8 ppg, 3.6 apg) has been removed from his second-string PG spot again, this time in favor of A.J. Price — although O’Brien said the move was less about Ford’s play and more about developing Price as well as rookie Lance Stephenson. — Dime Magazine

Bird, who has remained steadfast in the team’s rebuilding project, knew the Pacers were going to have ups and downs as they try to develop their young players while trying to remain competitive. Despite their problems, Bird expects the Pacers to make the playoffs because the teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings are so weak. “I’m disappointed we’ve lost as many games as we have,” Bird said. “In the East we should definitely be a playoff team. I’ll be very disappointed if we don’t make the playoffs. That was my goal the whole time.” — Indy Star

Pacers forward Mike Dunleavy is in the final year of his contract, which means he’s a candidate to be traded before the Feb. 24 trade deadline. Dunleavy is making $10,561,984 this season.

The Pacers could’ve followed the strategy adopted by the Knicks, Nets, Heat and Bulls last summer and chased free agents, but wisely put it off for another day. What would’ve been the point? Continue reading →

The Pacers tried to trade Dahntay Jones to clear a roster spot for Magnum Rolle last month, and they’re expected to continue to try to get him moved. — Indy Star

The Pacers hope Darren Collison is the point guard they can build around, citing his quickness, which allows him to streak past opponents, and his defense, which disrupts the other team’s offense. “He’s the type of young point guard you can build around,” Pacers president Larry Bird said. “Anytime you have a chance to get a quality point guard like Darren, you have to go after it. I thought there was some luck in us getting him. He was somebody we asked about right at the beginning of the summer.” — Indy Star

The Pacers have had no success trying to package Dahntay Jones and Solomon Jones in a two-for-one trade. “It’s out of my control,” Solomon Jones said. “The only thing I can control is how I play when I get on the court. I need to help contribute to the team any way I can. All the other off-the-court issues and rumors are out of my control.” The Pacers signed swingman Dahntay Jones to a three-year deal with a player option on the fourth year last year because they liked his defensive abilities. He fell out of the rotation late last season because his lack of outside shooting skill doesn’t fit into O’Brien’s offensive scheme. Jones played a total of 25 minutes in seven preseason games. Failing to make a trade means the Pacers will have to release a player. — Indy Star

Pacers rookie Paul George pushing Mike Dunleavy for the starting shooting guard position The veteran Dunleavy has been shooting great and moving exceptionally well without the ball after dealing with knee problems the past two years. George is showing why he was the No. 10 pick in the draft. He already has a good understanding of the system. He’s quick and has active hands on defense. And the coaching staff usually has to tell him something only once. O’Brien feels George can be a rotation player early in the season. “He’s a special talent,” O’Brien said. — Indy Star

Pacers coach Jim O’Brien said Tyler Hansbrough falls further behind the longer he’s held out of scrimmages. He hopes the second-year forward’s limitations will be lifted this week. “He was behind coming in because he didn’t have a training camp last year, then he missed most of the season, and the more times he misses five-on-five, the further behind he gets,” O’Brien said. “There’s no way of sugar-coating it. He’ll start to catch up once he’s able to go in every drill we do.” A shin injury sidelined Hansbrough in training camp last year. He was limited to just 29 games last season because of vertigo. With Hansbrough’s relative inaction, Josh McRoberts has taken a big lead for the starting spot. The Pacers have three preseason games this week — at Memphis on Wednesday, home against Orlando on Friday and at Houston on Saturday. — Indy Star

Indiana Pacers swingman Brandon Rush has more to worry about than proving to the team’s front office he can stay out of trouble off the court. He’s also trying to show team president Larry Bird and general manager David Morway he deserves to have his $2.9 million team option picked up for next season. Pacers officials have until Oct. 31 to make a decision. Rush will become an unrestricted free agent next summer if the Pacers don’t exercise the option. Rush acknowledged Wednesday that his five-game suspension for failing the league’s mandatory drug test could affect his future with the Pacers. “I do think it could play a part a little bit, but I’m trying not to worry about it,” said Rush, who has been practicing with the second unit. “I should be fine as long as I come out here and show I’ve been putting in the work and I’ve changed my lifestyle. Everything should work out fine if I do those things.” The Pacers are expected to pick up center Roy Hibbert’s $2.6 million option for next season. — Indy Star