Indiana

Pacers

After a relatively muted performance in his summer debut, Furphy looked more comfortable on the court on Sunday. He led the Pacers in scoring while recording a full stat line, making plays on both ends of the floor. Cracking the Pacers rotation as a rookie will be difficult due to the team’s depth, but Furphy will have value in dynasty leagues.

The eighth overall pick in last summer’s draft, Walker played limited NBA minutes as a rookie. And with the Pacers re-signing Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin, the path to rotation minutes at power forward appears to be blocked. As a result, he will see plenty of time at the three in Las Vegas. “He’s going to start at the 3, but today’s game is positionless,” Pacers summer league coach Jannero Pargo said. “If he’s ahead of the play, we want him dunking it and playing in the paint. If he’s not, spacing the floor, handling the ball, playing in pick-and-roll, making decisions off the dribble. In all facets of the game, we want to use him because he’s that kind of a player.” Regardless of where Walker slots into the lineup once the games count, he’ll be part of a loaded Pacers rotation on the wings. While he remains a viable option in dynasty leagues, his value in redraft formats may be limited in 2024-25.

Wiseman will join his fourth team since being selected No. 2 in 2020. He’ll provide depth behind Myles Turner and will scrap for minutes with Isaiah Jackson. Wiseman could get a slight boost in fantasy value if he’s able to secure the top backup spot behind Turner, but he’s a deep-league dart-throw at best. Detroit’s center depth consists of Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, which means that unless the Pistons make a move for another big man, Beef Stew should play more minutes at the five in 2024-25. That could lead to more rebounds and a higher FG%.

Indiana acquired Toppin last summer, but after opening the year as part of the starting unit, he was a reserve for the end of the year. He’ll continue to play an important backup role behind Pascal Siakam for the foreseeable future, though his fantasy upside will be capped, barring injuries in front of him.

Smith enjoyed career-highs in FG% (59.2) and three-point percentage (42.4) in his fourth NBA season, and he should have no shortage of suitors given his ability to space the floor and block shots.

While he may not have attended a high-profile school, Freeman is one of the most accomplished collegians in this draft class. A three-time All-MAC selection at Akron, he won MAC Player of the Year honors this past season and helped lead the Zips to the NCAA tournament. Freeman’s fifth season was his best, as he averaged 18.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.7 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game. While Freeman shot 37% from three last season, he did so on 1.5 attempts per game. Despite standing at 6-foot-7, Freeman possessed high-level defensive abilities, and that may be where his “bread” needs to be buttered if he’s to stick in the NBA. Freeman will likely have a tough time carving out a role as a rookie behind the likes of Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin for a Pacers team that was a few wins away from reaching the 2024 NBA Finals, so fantasy managers shouldn’t expect too much from him in year one.

Newton spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at East Carolina before transferring to UConn for the last two. Newton led the Huskies to back-to-back national championships as the team’s starting point guard, improving his production from 2022-23 to 2023-24. In his final season with UConn, Newton averaged 15.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.3 blocks and 1.8 triples. He led his team in scoring, assists, and made free throws (4.2 / 5.2) and finished behind only Donovan Clingan for the team lead in rebounds. Newton was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2023-24 NCAA Tournament and earned the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s best PG. His 41.5 / 32.1 / 80.8 shooting splits will likely move him down draft boards, but he brings championship experience and a winning attitude to the NBA. At first glance, Indiana isn’t the best landing spot for Newton due to the team’s loaded backcourt. However, holding onto Andrew Nembhard could get expensive if he decided to test free agency in the summer of 2025.

Furphy’s production during his lone season at Kansas picked up once injuries freed up additional minutes for the freshman wing. From mid-January onward, the 6-foot-7.5 Australian averaged 11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.6 3-pointers, shooting 46.4% from the field and 78.6% from the foul line. Well over half of Furphy’s shot attempts for the season came from beyond the arc, and the majority of his makes were assisted. He didn’t show much regarding the ability to create for himself, and the athletic testing numbers suggest that he may be more of a catch-and-shoot option at the NBA level. The Spurs drafted Furphy, but they’ll send him to the Indiana Pacers, where he’ll look to provide length and outside shooting prowess among a smaller group of wings.

Siakam can sign the deal on July 6 when the free agency moratorium period ends. It’s not a surprising update based on earlier reports indicating he’d return to Indiana on a long-term deal.

According to Agness, “Both sides know how each other feels [and] want the partnership to continue.” It’s not surprising news considering Siakam’s trade to Indiana at the end of his expiring deal. The belief was that he would stick around for the long haul after the Pacers traded for him, and he’ll be back with Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and the rest of Indiana’s young core as the team looks to replicate the success it found in an Eastern Conference Finals run this season. Siakam averaged 21.3 points on 54.9% shooting, 7.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 triples across 41 appearances for the Pacers and finished 77th in per-game fantasy value in that span. He’ll be worth a look in the middle rounds of 2024-25 fantasy drafts.