--The Pacers won't be getting a player in return from the Boston Celtics for Marquis Daniels after all. The two teams couldn't find a third team to pull off a sign-and-trade deal for Daniels, who became an unrestricted free agent when the Pacers declined to pick up his team option in June. Daniels, who spent three seasons with the Pacers, signed with the Celtics for their $1.9 million biannual exception.
--Coach Jim O'Brien, who is headed into the final season of his three-year contract, is working under the impression that he won't receive an extension before the season starts. He said there hasn't been any talk of extending his contract. "Not at this point in time," O'Brien said. "Under the circumstances with the way the economy is and the way things are going in the NBA, that will take care of itself at some point."
--Rookie point guard A.J. Price will be the 14th player on the Pacers' roster this season. Indiana signed Price, the 52nd player taken in the draft, to a two-year contract. Price will be the Pacers fourth point guard behind T.J. Ford, Earl Watson and Travis Diener. The Pacers hope things work out better this time than the previous time they gave a second-round pick a guaranteed contract. They signed James White to a two-year deal in 2006 only to cut him in training camp several months later.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I promised myself and I promised my family that I would get this finished. I dropped all my classes except one the final semester there because I had to get ready for the draft. Once we had kids, I really realized I needed to get this done." -- C Jeff Foster, on getting his degree last month after leaving Texas State University 10 years ago.
