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Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) looks to shoot against New York Knicks guard Delon Wright (0) during the first half of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs Sunday, May 25, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo\/AJ Mast)<\/p>\n
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved<\/p>\n
INDIANAPOLIS \u2013 The Indiana Pacers have plans of signing veteran guard Delon Wright<\/a> ahead of their training camp, which begins next week. Wright will need to undergo a physical examination first.<\/p>\n The 10-year veteran has played for 10 teams in his career, and he spent time with both the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks last season. In the 2019-20 league year, Wright played under current Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle when the two overlapped with the Dallas Mavericks.<\/p>\n Last year, the Utah product averaged 3.1 points and 1.9 assists per game \u2013 he was more productive with the Knicks than the Bucks. The best stretches of his career came with Memphis and Detroit earlier this decade. He paired healthy stats with strong defense and scored more than 10 points per game in 2020-21.<\/p>\n The Pacers wanted to add another point guard. They hoped that Monte Morris, who they agreed to terms on a contract with<\/a> earlier this week, could be that guard. But Morris has a calf injury, meaning he won\u2019t actually join the blue and gold. General Manager Chad Buchanan detailed the injury during a press conference on Thursday.<\/p>\n \u201cMonte Morris unfortunately has a calf strain issue that is going to keep him out for a couple of weeks, so he will not be in training camp with us while he\u2019s getting healthy,\u201d Buchanan explained. \u201cMonte was a guy that, we were looking for some guard depth. We\u2019ll continue to look for some guard depth there.\u201d<\/p>\n Why Delon Wright became the answer for the Pacers<\/p>\n Wright is the answer to that guard depth. He turned 32 earlier this year and would give the Pacers experience behind their current groups of points guards \u2013 Andrew Nembhard projects to be the starter at the position with T.J. McConnell as his backup.<\/p>\n Morris was set to sign an Exhibit 9 contract, which is a one-year, non-guaranteed minimum agreement that comes with injury protections during camp. While it hasn\u2019t been confirmed what deal Wright is signing, it\u2019s reasonable to assume it would be similar in makeup. The Pacers currently have a full roster, so they will have to waive someone to bring in the veteran guard \u2013 likely Exhibit 10 signee Samson Johnson.<\/p>\n INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MAY 31: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Indiana Pacers is defended by Delon Wright #0 of the New York Knicks during the fourth quarter in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 31, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Getty Images<\/p>\n The Pacers will be without star guard Tyrese Haliburton this season, which is why they are in need of point guard depth. That, combined with Carlisle\u2019s warm feelings toward lineups with two point guards and the team\u2019s need for experience, created the opening for a veteran lead guard. Kam Jones (second round pick), Quenton Jackson (two-way contract), and RayJ Dennis (two-way contract) don\u2019t have enough court time as reserves heading into training camp.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there is a position we\u2019d maybe look at\u2026 maybe another point guard,\u201d Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said of his team in late July on the Setting The Pace podcast<\/a>. \u201cWith [Nembhard] and [McConnell], it obviously puts a lot on their plates with nobody behind them right now that\u2019s a pure point guard on our 15-man roster.\u201d<\/p>\n Insert Wright. While he lacks some of the offensive qualities that made Morris a great theoretical offensive fit with Indiana, Wright brings defensive tenacity and postseason experience \u2013 he\u2019s played in nearly 50 playoff outings in his career.<\/p>\n