Connect with us

Indiana

Indiana Pacers Cole Swider Signing Suggests Roster Competition Coming

Published

on

Indiana Pacers Cole Swider Signing Suggests Roster Competition Coming


INDIANAPOLIS — Perhaps the least discussed Indiana Pacers addition from the offseason was the signing of 25-year old wing Cole Swider. The sweet-shooting forward agreed to a one-year deal with the Pacers back in August.

Swider, a two-year NBA pro who has experience with both the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, went under the radar as a signing for many reasons. He agreed to a contract late in free agency, he isn’t a well-known name, and he might not even make the team.

Advertisement

That final point is what makes the agreement fascinating. Swider signed a one-year deal with the Pacers, and none of his contract is guaranteed. Yet there is no Exhibit 10 language in his deal — that means Swider can’t get a two-way deal and likely won’t end up in the G League if he’s waived. The Rhode Island native is betting on himself to make the Pacers final 15-man roster.

During his career, Swider has averaged 2.0 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game in 5.1 minutes per night. He’s appeared in 25 games across two seasons. Most of his performances in the pros have come in the G League, and he’s been a flamethrower at that level. Swider is 193/429 (45%) from deep. His averages are 19.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in the G League.

Now, he comes to Indiana, and he will hope that shooting finally translates to the highest level. In his NBA time, only 34.2% of his outside shots have fallen so far. But if they do for the Pacers, then he’ll have a chance to make the team.

Swider’s signing does signal that there will be a battle for the final roster spot(s) in the Circle City. Were the Pacers comfortable with their top-15 talents, they wouldn’t have added someone else into the mix this summer. Yet they did, and the back end of the Pacers roster will be a storyline throughout training camp.

Advertisement

Swider isn’t the only player in Pacers camp on a contract that isn’t fully guaranteed for the coming season. James Johnson, who was signed in late July, has $750,000 guaranteed on his deal for 2024-25. The recently-added James Wiseman has $500,000 guaranteed, and Kendall Brown’s deal is fully non-guaranteed until opening night. Many players, including Swider, will be doing everything they can to earn money.

“Competition is a great thing. It, presumably, brings out the best in everybody,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said on Monday. “This team has got a lot of depth and a lot of juice and a lot of guys that are going to be ready to play.”

While it’s possible all four players with non- or lightly-guaranteed contracts are battling to make Indiana’s final roster, it’s more likely that the final spot on the team will come down to Brown or Swider. Not only do Johnson and Wiseman have some guaranteed money in their contracts that Indiana would have to eat if they were waived, but those two also have more obvious roles within the team.

Advertisement

Brown has been with the blue and gold for the last two seasons, first on a two-way contract then a standard NBA deal. He entered the offseason the favorite to be the Pacers 15th man, but an unimpressive summer league showing hurt his stock. The athletic 21-year old has the tools to be a useful player in the open floor and on defense, but those skills haven’t surfaced yet. And Brown hasn’t been efficient enough as a play finisher to offset his lack of ability elsewhere.

The Baylor product is still a fascinating talent. He’s tall, fast, and extremely athletic. Indiana liked him enough to draft him 48th overall in 2022. But now, he and Swider are likely competing for a spot on the Pacers roster.

It’s possible that neither player makes the team. If they are both unimpressive during training camp, they could both get cut. Indiana could keep the spot open, or perhaps two-way contract forward Enrique Freeman keeps playing inspired basketball, like he did in summer league, and earns a promotion to the standard roster. There are many ways Indiana could opt to go.

The Swider signing means that there will be a battle, though. A few guys will be hoping to prove they belong on the Pacers roster once the regular season comes, and the early signs are that it could come down to Swider’s shooting vs Brown’s athleticism. It will be decided on the court during training camp and preseason action.



Source link

Advertisement

Indiana

Man shot by security guard in hospital emergency room waiting area in Gary, Indiana

Published

on

Man shot by security guard in hospital emergency room waiting area in Gary, Indiana


A man’s family is demanding answers after he was shot by a security guard inside a hospital emergency room waiting area on Tuesday night in Gary, Indiana.

Methodist Northlake Hospital officials said, around midnight Tuesday night, its security staff responded quickly after a patient took out a gun. The hospital said he’d threatened to shoot himself or others.

The hospital commended the security guard who shot the man for “neutralizing the threat and helping ensure the safety of our patients and employees.”

Family members identified the man who was shot as Otis Brown. They said he is a kind father to a 12-year-old boy.

Advertisement

“Just a great person, a happy-go-lucky, always out there trying to do the right thing,” said his fiancée, Stacey Taylor.

Taylor said she was on a business trip when she got a call that Brown had been shot multiple times.

“Scared, uncertainty; you know, what story is right? You know, what happened?” she said.

After he was shot, Brown was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center for treatment.

Taylor said she had no idea why Brown went to Methodist Northlake Hospital in the first place. His family said he was trying to leave the hospital when the shooting happened, claiming that the hospital gave him his gun back after he was cleared to leave.

Advertisement

“We just want to get answers, just want to know what happened, particularly when people are defaming his name,” Taylor said.

She and Brown’s family hope the hospital has surveillance video footage that can help provide answers.

Gary police have not provided any details on the shooting. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department said it is investigating the shooting at the request of Gary police, but did not provide any further information.



Source link

Continue Reading

Indiana

Indiana A.G. finishes Karl King Tower investigation, finalizes compliance order

Published

on

Indiana A.G. finishes Karl King Tower investigation, finalizes compliance order


The Indiana Attorney General has finished its investigation into Karl King Tower and issued a compliance order.

This is coming after a months-long investigation into the unsafe living conditions for residents at the apartments.

From December 2025 to January 2026, there were prolonged failures with the heating and a lack of heat for residents during winter conditions at Karl King.

Advertisement

The property owner provided a 20% rent credit for affected tenants and documentation related to health and safety issues.

Below is the agreement from the Attorney General:

  • The owner must complete boiler and heating system improvements by September 30.
  • The property is subject to a monitoring period for multiple years.
  • The owner needs to provide on-site security, including cameras in common areas and monthly incident reports.
  • The building needs an on-site property manager to address resident concerns.
Comment with Bubbles

BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT

The Attorney General has the authority to inspect the property and enforce compliance if commitments aren’t met.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Indiana

Indiana Baseball Series Preview Against Illinois

Published

on

Indiana Baseball Series Preview Against Illinois


Advertisement

It’s been a rough season for the Indiana baseball team, but the Hoosiers have one more shot to finish the season on a high note against Illinois this week.

Indiana (21-30, 7-20) has lost five straight contests and failed to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament after finishing outside the top 12 in the Big Ten, meaning Saturday’s game against the Illini will be the Hoosiers’ last.

And that may very well be the biggest surprise in all of the Big Ten, considering IU won 33+ games each of the last two years and finished above .500 in Big Ten play each of the last three seasons.

About Indiana

Indiana’s disappointing season is almost over after getting swept by in-state rival Purdue over the weekend. IU has lost four straight Big Ten series and hasn’t won a series in nearly a month.

Regardless of who is playing well and who’s not, don’t be surprised if the majority of the seniors get to play this weekend.

Advertisement

That probably wouldn’t be the case if Indiana were still able to qualify for the Big Ten Tourney, but with that out of the equation, expect to see the guys who might not ever play another competitive game of baseball get to see the field one last time.

The Hoosiers’ best pitcher is southpaw Tony Neubeck, who leads the team in wins, starts, innings pitched, and strikeouts. Neubeck has recorded back-to-back quality starts and could very well hear his name called in this June’s MLB Draft.

Advertisement

Offensively, the Hoosiers have proven they can score some runs, and despite getting swept last week, scored 21 runs against Purdue. IU’s top hitter is Jake Hanley, who leads Indiana’s offense in at-bats, hits, home runs, RBIs, total bases, and walks.

About Illinois

Unlike Indiana, no matter what happens this week for Illinois, the Illini are automatically a lock for the Big Ten Tournament. Illinois might rest some of its everyday players who have played a lot and have some of its top arms on pitch counts, but outside of that, expect the Illini to play this series like it’s their last.

Illinois still has a chance to move up a spot in the Big Ten, and there’s no denying the fact that seeding matters.

Advertisement

Illinois (27-23, 13-14) has won five in a row but has struggled on the road this season, especially in Big Ten play.

Still, though, Illinois has a couple of solid relievers — Sam Mommer and Sam Reed — and has an ace in Aidan Flinn.

Offensively, the Illini are inconsistent but did manage to score 26 runs in three games against Northwestern and have a couple of power hitters in AJ Putty and Collin Jennings.

Series Schedule

Thursday, May 14th (6 p.m. ET)
Friday, May 15h (6 p.m. ET)
Saturday, May 16th (2 p.m. ET)

All three games are available to watch via the Big Ten Network Plus (BIG+).

Advertisement
Add us as a preferred source on Google



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending