Pacers come up short in pursuit of Hayward

Indiana Pacers team president Kevin Pritchard was poised to make a big move this offseason.

But a proposed deal to bring former Butler and Brownsburg standout Gordon Hayward back to his home state fell through. Instead, the 30-year old is expected to join the Charlotte Hornets in a sign-and-trade deal from the Boston Celtics with a new four-year, $120 million deal.

“We pursued as hard as we possibly could,” Pritchard said, when asked about the deal. “Other than that between two teams, I always feel like that’s very private. I don’t like when it gets out in the media, of what players (were part of discussions).”

According to multiple reports, the Pacers were willing to deal center Myles Turner and forward Doug McDermott to the Celtics. But the Celtics wanted Turner and either Victor Oladipo or T.J. Warren.

“The one thing we did differently is, if a player got talked about in that trade, we talked to our own players and let them know,” Pritchard said. “We tried to be very proactive and extremely transparent when it got out there and before it got out there.”

Two years removed from a gruesome leg injury, the 6-foot-7 Hayward returned to playing at an All-Star level last season, averaging 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 52 games.

“If you can add a player that materially improves you, you have to take a shot, and we’re not afraid of taking those shots,” Pritchard said. “It hurt a little bit more this time because the feedback was that he wanted to be here, so were probably overplaying in the trade. But we were willing to try to get a special player. …

“We’re going to keep trying to improve the roster. That’s to be expected, you know? We are going to try to do that. It can’t come as a cost that is so debilitating that it doesn’t make sense.”

NOTES

• Asked about the commitment level of Oladipo, a former Indiana University standout who is entering the final season of a four-year contract, Pritchard said: “Victor and his agent have not only said that they want to be here, but they’ve pounded the table that they want to be here and that they are two feet in, and that was my question at the end of last year to Victor, and I think it took some time for him to think about what are his goals and what are his long-term goals. It’s amazing. I got some calls from his agent yesterday, and it’s the same thing, can’t wait to get to camp. He can’t wait to show that he’s healthy and that he’s 100% committed, and I have to take people at their word.”

On Oladipo’s health, coming off his 2019 knee injury, Pritchard said: “He hasn’t been in the building yet, but he shares videos, and to me if he’s not 100%, I’d be surprised.”

• Pritchard expects All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis to be ready for the start of camp. Sabonis sat out the playoffs with plantar fasciitis.

“We’ll have to watch the foot a little bit,” Pritchard said. “There might be some times where, you know, we have to sit him out some, but as of now, we are expecting him being full in practice. But we’ll watch it.”

Pritchard said guard Jeremy Lamb, who was sidelined with a torn ACL last January, had an incredible offseason and could return as early as January.

“He will be practicing some point in time in December, and my best guess is he will get on the court in January, if not sooner,” Pritchard said. “So I don’t want to push it, and there’s ups and downs with every injury, but best guess, he’s on the court middle, late January.”

• Pritchard said the trade of forward T.J. Leaf to the Oklahoma City Thunder for guard Jalen Lecque and the drafting of Duke forward Cassius Stanley in the second round was designed to get the Pacers more athletic.

“Cassius and Jalen bring in some athletic ability,” Pritchard said. “Cassius, in my opinion, was one of the best athletes in college basketball.”

On the development of Indiana’s first-round pick in 2019, 6-11 forward Goga Bitadze, Pritchard said: “We have to have Goga play for us to be our best team. He has to be able to come in and play some minutes. He’s gotta earn it, but what we’ve seen out of him out of the last couple of weeks is someone that’s very determined to show us he’s a basketball player and deserves minutes.”

Bitadze bounced between the G League and Pacers last season. With the Pacers, Bitadze averaged 3.2 points and 2 rebounds in 52 games.