Indiana

Indiana Pacers have battle underway for final roster spot ahead of regular season

Published

1 year ago

October 8, 2024

Indiana Pacers have battle underway for final roster spot ahead of regular season

INDIANAPOLIS — While the Indiana Pacers are currently pushing through a training camp marked by continuity, a few new players on the roster are involved in a roster battle for the final spot(s) on the team.

As it stands right now, the Pacers have 19 players under contract. When the regular season starts, that number has to be 18, at most — a maximum of 15 players on standard contracts and three players on two-way deals. By October 19, Indiana will have to cut at least one player so they clear the waiver process by the Monday before the regular season starts.

Multiple Indiana players are signed to contracts that are not fully guaranteed for the coming. Kendall Brown and the newly-added Cole Swider won’t earn money unless they are on the Pacers roster come opening night. “He’s a guy competing for the 15th spot,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Swider. James Wiseman ($500k) and James Johnson ($750k) have partial guarantees in their contracts for the 2024-25 season. In theory, any of them could be involved in the battle for the last spot on the roster.

In reality, it likely comes down to Swider, Brown, and perhaps the players on two-way deals. Currently, the guys on a two-way contract in Indiana are Quenton Jackson, Tristen Newton,and Enrique Freeman.

Freeman has shown the most among that group. He stood out during summer league play, and Indiana signed both Jackson and Newton to a two-way deal at the same time. The Freeman agreement came a few weeks later only after other considerations were sorted out, which suggests that the Pacers were considering him for a standard contract before agreeing to a two-way deal.

As things stand now, though, it would appear as if the Pacers battle for the 15th and final roster spot comes down to Brown vs Swider, with other players in the mix pending extreme performances during training camp and preseason — good or bad.

Indiana Pacers wing Cole Swider speaks with reporters after a practice on October 2, 2024. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Pacers On SI) / Tony East

Production will matter in the coming weeks to settle the battle for the final roster spot(s). “Just how all these all these guys competing for it play,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of the key factors involved in the decision. “How they compete, how they manage game situations when they have chances to play.”

Both Swider and Brown are technically two-way eligible, so there are a lot of moving parts, but their willingness to take a two-way deal is unknown. Their contracts can’t be directly converted. As it stands, Swider’s expert shooting ability and Brown’s athleticism and potential are competing to stand out during upcoming action. Even before the blue and gold added Swider, Brown’s summer league play created questions about the back end of Indiana’s roster.

The 21-year old Brown was drafted by the Pacers with the 48th overall pick in 2022. They have seen him develop across the last two seasons, which were both spent primarily on two-way contracts. In March, he inked a three-year deal with the franchise, but only the first year contained guaranteed money.

Swider, meanwhile, has been with other teams (the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat) on two-way deals in recent seasons. Both players are inexperienced. Swider is older and more of a specialist — his three-point shooting has been exceptional in the G League and during summer league outings. Brown is fast and can jump out of the gym, and his game is being built out from his athletic tools.

“Whether it’s him (Swider), whether it’s Kendall, or whether it’s one of the guys that’s presently on a two-way [deal]. That’s kind of where that is,” Carlisle said of the Pacers final roster spot. “I’m anxious to see how these guys compete.”

Swider’s cap hit is ever so slightly smaller than Brown’s, but that difference is negligible for the Pacers’ planning. They will be under the luxury tax with either player — and if a two-way player earns the final roster spot, their cap hit would be even smaller. Financially, there is no issue for Indiana, and they can reconsider things ahead of the league wide contract guarantee date in January.

“It’s not [certain] that we [will] keep a 15th person. Someone’s got to earn that spot,” Carlisle said.

Tonight, the Pacers begin preseason play. It’s one of the first chances for the players competing for a spot to show what they can do, and the battle for the Pacers final roster opening will be a story throughout training camp.

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Indiana

Is ‘The Bachelorette’ happening? This Carmel contestant weighs in

Published

10 hours ago

March 30, 2026

Press Room

Is ‘The Bachelorette’ happening? This Carmel contestant weighs in

Should ABC air the canceled-for-now season of “The Bachelorette”? A Carmel man who was set to compete on it seems to think so.

Matt Carroll, a 43-year-old Purdue basketball alum and Carmel resident, took to social media over the weekend to address the cancelation of season 22 of “The Bachelorette,” on which he appeared. Public opinion on whether the show should see the light of day is split, but the former Boilermaker forward and industrial real estate broker hopes the footage makes it to air.

Disney and ABC pulled season 22 of “The Bachelorette” because its lead, “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Taylor Frankie Paul, faces an ongoing domestic violence investigations. The network announced the decision March 19 after TMZ leaked a video from a 2023 domestic violence incident involving Paul and her ex Dakota Mortensen.

Neither Carroll nor the show have officially commented on the cancelation, but that doesn’t mean he and other contestants haven’t hinted at their feelings on social media.

Carroll’s Instagram reel — in which he struts through the streets of Carmel, rose in hand, RAYE’s “Where the Hell is My Husband” soundtracking it all — breaks the ice. “So…about that,” he joked, tagging both “The Bachelorette” and Bachelor Nation, the franchise’s official hub for news and content.

The reel has garnered comments from fellow Carmel residents wishing Carroll well, even offering to set him up with local singles. Notably, though, some of Carroll’s followers have called for the season to air — and he agrees.

“Trying to manifest that they still air this,” one comment from model Brittany Mason reads. “America wants it the world wants it!”

“From your lips to God’s ears,” Carroll replied.

Another response from him put it more plainly:

“I’m still hoping they decide to air it.”

Whether “The Bachelorette” will air is unclear. Disney Entertainment Television’s official statement only indicated that it was halting the season “for now,” so it’s possible the network could dust off the footage and air it after all.

Contact IndyStar Pop Culture Reporter Heather Bushman at hbushman@indystar.com. Follow her on X @hmb_1013.

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Indiana

Game times announced for Saturday’s Final Four in Indianapolis

Published

22 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Game times announced for Saturday’s Final Four in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament’s Final Four is set.

Four teams have advanced to the Final Four and will compete for the national championship this upcoming weekend in Indianapolis.

The two national semifinal matchups will take place on Saturday. Tip times for the two games have been announced:

6:09 p.m. EDT – No. 3 seed Illinois vs. No. 2 seed UConn
8:49 p.m. EDT – No. 1 seed Michigan vs. No. 1 seed Arizona

The winners of Saturday’s games will then play in the National Championship Game on Monday, April 6.

Each game will take place inside Lucas Oil Stadium.

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Indiana

Hundreds gather at Indiana State Capitol for ‘No Kings’ protest

Published

1 day ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Hundreds gather at Indiana State Capitol for ‘No Kings’ protest

INDIANAPOLIS — Hundreds of Hoosiers gathered at the Indiana Statehouse Saturday morning as part of nationwide ‘No Kings’ events to voice their concerns about the current administration.

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Hundreds gather at Indiana State Capitol for ‘No Kings’ protest

“I’m out here today because what’s happening in our government is completely trash,” Donna Sipes told WRTV. “It’s wrong. We need to do something about it.”

“I’m tired of every single day when the TV comes on to see what stupid thing he’s done next,” Lindi Marti said.

WRTV

Attendees noted the growing popularity of the demonstrations.

“This is my fourth one to come to. I didn’t come to all of them when it was really cold, but I’m glad to see that they are getting a lot more people out here every time,” Marti added. “It seems like there’s more and more coming.”

Demonstrators highlighted specific foreign policy concerns, including the administration’s handling of the war in Iran.

“We’re bombing the heck out of them. We’re killing civilians,” Marti’s husband said. “We’re getting ready to send our Marines.”

Others focused on the administration’s handling of immigration.

“That’s what I’m concerned about,” Reverend Kenny Little told WRTV. “Little kids, they’re taking them away from their family. And I’m just one of those people, I think everyone got rights.”

Indiana medical students also attended the rally to speak out against changes to the healthcare system.

“We’re really worried about the attacks on the health care system in general, but with Medicaid… current estimates range from anywhere from 325,000 to 450,000 Hoosiers will lose coverage by 2032,” Wade Catt said with concern.

Poster image - 2026-03-28T202405.362.jpg

With midterm elections approaching later this year, attendees emphasized the importance of now taking action at the ballot box.

“If we don’t vote, then things are gonna not, they’re gonna stay the same,” a protester said.

Meanwhile, Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith says he’s happy to see Hoosiers exercise their First Amendment right to protest.

However, he takes issue with the idea that President Trump is acting like a king. Beckwith says the fact that people have the freedom to protest is proof that the president is not acting like a tyrant.

He acknowledges that bridging the gap between the sides is probably an uphill battle, but believes communication is key.

“I think when you sit down with people face to face, you’re confronted with humanity. There’s another human sitting across that table from you and talking to you. And so, all I have to say, I think that’s probably the thing I would encourage all Hoosiers to do is say, ‘Hey, if you don’t agree with somebody or if you don’t like somebody, why don’t you try grabbing coffee with them? And give it 30 minutes, and just see what happens.’ I bet most of the time people will walk away with a much softer heart and spirit towards that person before they came in,” Beckwith said.

Beckwith is currently on a 92-county tour of the state. He says all sides are welcome to attend his events.

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