DRAFT PICKS:
Tyler Hansbrough, F, 6-9, North Carolina (first round) -- Pacers love Hansbrough's energy. He's been described as a young Jeff Foster with a better offensive game. Hansbrough's arrival means the Pacers are more likely to try to trade Foster. A.J. Price, G, 6-2, Connecticut (second round) -- Price is a long shot to make the team since the Pacers already have two point guards on the roster and could have a third one if they re-sign Jarrett Jack.
FREE AGENT FOCUS: The Pacers have five free agents. Forward Maceo Baston, forward Josh McRoberts, center Rasho Nesterovic and guard Stephen Graham are all unrestricted free agents. Guard Jarrett Jack is restricted. Jack is the most likely to get re-signed. He said wants to remain a Pacer and team president Larry Bird said earlier in the season that their intention was to re-sign him.
PLAYER NEWS:
--G Travis Diener decided against opting out of the final year of his contract. The move isn't surprising since Diener, the Pacers third point guard last season, will make $1.7 million next season and there likely wouldn't be much of a market for him this summer. "I like playing for coach O'Brien," Diener said. "He has a system that fits my style, and I'm looking forward to returning to a team that is going in the right direction." Diener averaged 3.7 points and 2.2 assists last season.
--G Marquis Daniels will be on a market for a new team on July 1. The Pacers decided against picking up his $7.5 million team option for next season. The move isn't surprising considering Daniels, who will be an unrestricted free agent, has a difficult time staying healthy and likely wouldn't start next season. There's a possibility that the Pacers try to sign Daniels to multi-year deal at a lower yearly salary.
--F Josh McRoberts has only one thing on his mind this summer: being a rotation player. McRoberts, a restricted free agent the Pacers want to re-sign, has added 20 pounds of muscle since the season ended. The third-year forward has spent almost the entire offseason in Indianapolis working out with the team's strength and conditioning staff.
MEDICAL WATCH:
--G Mike Dunleavy (knee) is expected to be out until at least January 2010 after undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur from his right patellar tendon and then had the tendon repaired in March in Colorado. He underwent minor arthroscopic surgery on his left hip June 4.
