Brandon Rush, G/F, 6-6, Kansas -- Was drafted by Portland at No. 13 but sent to the Pacers for Jerryd Bayless and forward Ike Diogu. Rush can shoot from long distance, he's a good rebounder and can play multiple positions. He'll team with Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy to give the Pacers a solid three-man rotation at the swingman spot.

PLAYER NOTES:

--Point guard Travis Diener is expected to miss about a month because of soreness in his left foot. Diener, the team's third-string point guard, had surgery in May to remove bone spurs in his left big toe. He said the two injuries aren't related.

"It's just some tendons in the bottom of my foot that aren't moving like they should and let me play relatively pain-free," he said. "It's a constant problem with (explosiveness). Just the daily grind of walking; it's sore and painful."

The Pacers aren't expected to bring in a third point guard because they're confident T.J. Ford and Jarrett Jack can handle the position for the time being. Swingman Marquis Daniels can also play the position.

--Coach Jim O'Brien isn't worried that president Larry Bird wasn't able to acquire a power forward in the offseason.

O'Brien believes he's already got that player on the roster in Troy Murphy.

"I view our power forward as Troy Murphy," O'Brien said. "He can probably be better in the low post than I used him. I'm very happy to have Troy as my power forward. To play the way I want to play the power forward -- which goes against the idea of power -- it has to be a guy that can shoot the (three-pointer). If he also happens to be a guy that can punish you inside, that's great, too."

Murphy averaged 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 46 percent from the field last season.

--Power forward Austin Croshere hopes to have a second stint with the Pacers.

Croshere, who spent his first nine years with Indiana, passed on several offers from other teams to attend training camp with the Pacers.

It won't be easy for Croshere to make the roster because the Pacers have 16 players under contract -- one more than the NBA allows. They will have to release a player if they can't trade point guard Jamaal Tinsley by the time rosters have to be set Oct. 27. If the Pacers keep Tinsley, Croshere will have to beat two players to earn a spot.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge," Croshere said. "It's a team that fits my style of play. I think there's a need and obviously (there are) some management issues with some contracts that will have to play themselves out that I don't have a lot of control over. Hopefully, if I prove I can help the team enough they'll be willing to do it."

--Swingman Mike Dunleavy finally lived up to the expectations set for him when he was drafted No. 3 in 2002 last season.

Now Dunleavy, who averaged a career-high 19.1 points and shot nearly 48 percent from the field last season, plans to become an even better player.

Dunleavy focused on improving his defense during summer workouts in New York.

"The biggest thing I wanted to improve on was my quickness and things like that," he said. "Being 6-9, 6-10 and having to chase these little guys around, it's something I have to get better at and improve on."