SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH) — Despite the rain and damp conditions, hundreds of people gathered on Friday evening for Rockin’ on Main, keeping the annual tradition alive with music, food and family fun ahead of the Indianapolis 500.

Attendees under umbrellas and in ponchos spent the day exploring vendors, enjoying live entertainment, and splashing through puddles. For many, the event is more than just a festival, it’s a yearly reunion with friends and family tied to the excitement of race weekend in Indiana.

Jameison Turk enjoyed dinner with her family. “My mom, my dad, my brother, friends, and family; it’s a big thing for Indiana, so I’m happy,”

Businesses and artists also filled the strip with pop-up shops and displays.

The Speedway Artist Collective featured a variety of Indy 500-inspired artwork and handmade items ranging from bracelets and T-shirts to fine art pieces.

“We have everything from stickers to fine art,” said Lisa Schmitz, founder of Speedway Artist Collective. “If you come in with your little ones, they’re going to find things that are appropriate for them, and you might find something to put on the wall in your home. We are here to represent not only Speedway but Indiana, and we have fans from all over the country and the world.”

Some artists showcased creative upcycled pieces, including handbags made from old Indy 500 programs and lamps crafted from vintage Indy 500 beer cans.

Even with the rainy weather, attendees said the atmosphere remained upbeat throughout the event. Cooper Miles said, “Everybody seems to be having a good time, good food, so nothing to complain about.”

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. (WGN) — A police officer was shot Friday morning at a hospital in Michigan City, Indiana.

According to Indiana State Police, the officer was shot at around 7 a.m. at Franciscan Health Michigan City, located in the 3500 block of Franciscan Way.

The officer has been identified as Jon Samuelson, 33, a 12-year veteran of the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office.

According to Indiana State Police, Samuelson, a K9 officer, was on his way to a training session when he spotted a disabled vehicle on State Road 2 near 900 West in LaPorte County.

The suspect, a 22-year-old man from of Chicago, asked the deputy to be taken to the hospital.

Samuelson dropped him at the emergency room at Franciscan Health. Around five minutes later, Samuelson returned to the hospital after learning that the man was allegedly involved in “criminal activity at a different location,” according to Indiana State Police.

Law enforcement sources told Nexstar’s WGN News the 22-year-old suspect was involved in a domestic-related carjacking in Chicago earlier, and, at around 6:05 a.m., FLOCK cameras saw the vehicle enter Indiana.

Chicago police said a 40-year-old woman was in verbal dispute when she was carjacked at her home just after 4:30 a.m.

While attempting to speak with, or arrest the suspect inside of the emergency room, Samuelson was shot three times, according to Indiana State Police. He was airlifted to a hospital in South Bend in critical condition.

Samuelson comes from a line of police officers. His father, a retired Michigan City officer, was employed as a security guard at the hospital and was there at the time, according to ISP.

His grandfather was the former chief of police of LaPorte.

Samuelson is married and has no children.

The suspect was booked into the Porter County Jail, according to Indiana State Police.

Formal charges have not been announced at this time.

Franciscan Health sent the following statement.

“The health and safety of our patients and staff is always our top priority. There is no active threat to patients, staff or the community at this time. The emergency department remains on ambulance bypass, but walk-in patients are being accepted through the main entrance to the hospital. Franciscan Physician Network medical offices on site are closed at this time. All other services and departments remain open as normal.”

In a recent article by Bobby Marks of ESPN, Marks had the Pacers available assets to be traded as one of the worst in the NBA, tiering them with the Boston Celtics in the “Gap Year” tier.

With the Pacers running thin of guys on rookie scale contracts, I thought it would be worthwhile to rank the Pacers assets by tiers, and evaluate the whole roster. 

After the Pacers lost the 5th overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery, Kevin Pritchard did two interviews where he specifically said, “we have five of six picks”, meaning the Pacers only outgoing future pick is the 2029 first-round pick that they sent to the Clippers in the Ivica Zubac trade.

Having multiple future picks is the gold standard for a team trying to make a blockbuster move. The moment you trade those picks, the harder it is to acquire a future star player. 

The unknown of what these picks could become is viewed as a greater asset than the actual player drafted most of the times. The mystery box of the unknown, versus the known commodity is always a major part in trade negotiations. 

With that said, here is my ranking of the Indiana Pacers assets: 

Tier 1 – Them Picks

You guessed it. The Pacers’ future picks are their most coveted asset. They have the ability to trade three picks, and three pick swaps. The unprotected picks have significantly more value than the swaps, but both are valuable in different ways. 

Available picks starting July, 1, 2026:

-2027 first-round pick
-2028 first-round pick swap
-2030 first-round pick swap
-2031 first-round pick
-2032 first-round pick
-2033 first-round pick

The Stepien Rule

It is worth noting that the Stepien Rule would apply to the Pacers for any future picks they trade out. They are not allowed to trade future picks in consecutive years. This means that if Indiana wanted to deal picks in 2031, 2032, and 2033, they would only be able to send out picks in 2031 and 2033. They could send out a 2032 pick swap, but they must maintain a draft pick that year. 

The Stepien Rule Loophole
If you’re wondering how the Pacers can trade their 2027 first-round pick on July 1st, after sending their 2026 first-round pick to the Clippers, it’s due to the fact that the Stepien Rule specifically says “future picks”. Since 2027 would be the current pick of the 2026-27 season, it would not be considered a “future pick” which then allows them to move off of it. 

All this to say, Indiana can trade at most three first-round picks and three pick swaps. 

Tier 2 – The Untouchables

In the next tier, we have just two players: Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton. 

These multi-time All-Stars are the heart and soul of this Indiana Pacers team. They unquestionably have the highest value across the league, but Indiana will not be trading either of them this season. 

Siakam is the perfect blend of a three-level scorer, who can also defend multiple positions at the highest level, which helped Indiana reach Game 7 of the NBA Finals last season.

Haliburton is the best facilitator in the NBA, is one of the most clutch players we’ve seen in recent NBA history, and is the face of the franchise. The most “overrated” player in 2025, is a nightmare for the rest of the Eastern Conference, and once he’s fully recovered from his Achilles injury, watch out. 

Tier 3 – The Almost Untouchables

For this tier, you could make the case for a handful of guys, but I am sticking with just two: Andrew Nembhard and Ivica Zubac (aka Drew and Zu). 

Nembhard is the perfect mix of great defense, incredible instincts, amazing secondary play making, and fearlessness. When the lights shine the brightest, Nembhard is the best version of himself, on both ends of the floor. He is the perfect backcourt partner for Tyrese Haliburton and makes the Pacers’ ecosystem work to its’ fullest.

Zubac is the new kid on the block, but the value that Indiana gave up to get him makes him an extremely valuable piece to this team moving forward. His size, strength, durability, IQ and instincts make him invaluable, especially when you look at the Pacers center depth. 

I labeled this tier as “The Almost Untouchables” because I don’t see a world in where they are dealt, but if the perfect deal came to fruition, they can be moved. 

Tier 4 – The Not-So Untouchables 

In this tier, we once again have two players that qualify: Aaron Nesmith and Obi Toppin. 

Aaron Nesmith is a physical defender, with a high-motor that never stops, and is a terrific catch-and-shoot three-point shooter. His relentlessness makes him hard to keep off the floor, and his big-game performances in the last two seasons showcases how special he is to this Pacers core. 

Obi Toppin is a versatile big that learned how to not only play the four position, but the small-ball five. His elite athleticism, combined with his outside shot making and rim-running abilities gives the Pacers something they don’t have with any of their other bigs. He is a perfect blend for their front court depth. 

These two are in “The Not-So-Untouchable” tier because as valuable as they are to the Pacers and what they do, if Indiana could trade for a better player at their position, it would have to be strongly considered. 

Tier 5 – The “He Means More To Us Than You” Tier

This is a standalone tier for T.J. McConnell.

He’s 34 years old and is one of the best backup point guards in the league. And while age is not on his side, the Pacers value what he brings to the floor and the locker room more than what they could get for him in any trade. 

I expect him to be here with the team at least for this two-year window, because any move that included McConnell in it would come as a complete shock.

Tier 6 – The “Young and Expiring Tier”

Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard come on down. 

The 2023 Draft Class for the Pacers has brought more good than bad to the team, but both players have left you wanting more than what they were drafted to do. 

Walker was seen as a defensive specialist, and has been anything but that, and Sheppard was selected because of his outside shooting, and for the most part of his career, it’s been an underwhelming part of his game. 

The Pacers have to decide if they want to extend either of these two players before they become restricted free agents in the summer of 2027. Their contracts are team friendly right now, but outside of the core, they are the most moveable and largest contracts that make a significant bench upgrade possible. 

Tier 7 – The “injured” Tier

This tier is only here for one player, and that is Johnny Furphy. 

Last season, Furphy skyrocketed into the rotation, and took advantage of the opportunity. Indiana found success with him playing next to Pascal Siakam as the small ball five, thanks to his switch ability on defense and his nonstop cutting on offense. 

After a massive dunk on Toronto, Furphy landed awkwardly and tore his ACL. His timetable is still TBD, but the Pacers like him a lot. His trade value is low right now since he’s recovering from an injury, and his salary is already so low that trading him doesn’t get the Pacers much back in return. 

Tier 8 – The Backup Centers

Jay Huff and Micah Potter have little value on the open market, but each possesses a unique skillset that would be enticing to other teams.

Huff is a legit shot blocker, and Potter proved to be an awesome three-point shooter last season. Their salaries are exceptionally low, which could be enticing for teams if they’re included in a bigger trade, but their trade value alone is no greater than a second-round pick. 

Tier 9 – The Third String Guards

Quenton Jackson and Kam Jones round out the list as the least valuable assets on the team. Jackson and Jones both have partial guarantees on their contract, and Indiana could potentially waive one of them to open up more cap space for a bigger fish. 

The sample size is minimal for Jones, but he’s a smaller combo guard that is being asked to play the one. He transitioned into that role full time with Marquette his senior year, but things were about as bad as they could be for a rookie season. 

Jackson is more of a two guard than a point guard. His quick speed, scoring ability, and defensive potential have helped him go from a two-way player to a standard contract. His trade value is almost nonexistent since he’s an end of bench guard, but he has the ability to pop off in big games from time to time. Great throw-in piece, but his name brings little to no value in a trade discussion. 

Final Thoughts

Indiana has enough future first-round picks, as well as young players and expendable contracts to make an extremely splashy move. 

If they elect to use any of these assets for a smaller move, it could hurt their abilities to make a bigger move later, but the time to win is now. 

Kevin Pritchard, Chad Buchanan, and Ted Wu have assets in place to improve this roster if they deem it’s necessary. 

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow