Delon

Wright

Payne will compete for a spot in Indiana’s final rotation. He’s got a shot to compete due to Tyrese Haliburton’s season-long absence and a number of key injuries across the roster. Wright will look to join another NBA team before the 2025-26 campaign tips off.

Clark had a collision with Delon Wright that left Wright down on the floor for a while, which ends the night of both players prematurely. Clark’s head went right into Wright’s chin while he was attempting to take the ball, and the hit was hard enough for Clark to leave with neck spasms. Hopefully, neither will miss an extended period of time.

The Pacers are calling it a sore left hamstring, so hopefully this isn’t a serious injury. With Kam Jones sidelined and Delon Wright exiting after taking a hit to the face, Taelon Peter should fill out the non-Andrew Nembhard point guard minutes for the remainder of this exhibition.

Indiana had initially tried to sign Monte Morris for camp, but since he will be injured for a few weeks, they’ll pivot to add Wright. The Pacers will turn to Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell as the primary replacements for Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles), though adding another veteran won’t hurt, even if it ends up only being for training camp.

The Knicks still need a win to lock up the three-seed in the East. Brunson and McBride should be available for Tuesday’s game between the playoff implications and the probable tags. Cameron Payne benefits the most when either is unavailable, while Delon Wright would enter the rotation if Brunson and McBride are out.

Brunson is back after a 15-game absence and will be in the Knicks’ starting lineup. His return means Delon Wright heads to the bench, and the veteran backup may fall out of the rotation entirely, as Miles McBride and Cameron Payne are also available. The few who streamed Wright can drop him onto the waiver wire.

Payne will be back after a four-game absence, but he won’t return to the starting unit. He’ll play the backup point guard minutes behind Delon Wright, which will likely push rookie Tyler Kolek out of the rotation. With Jalen Brunson set to return on Sunday, Wright will only have one more game of streaming appeal.

Brunson will miss his 15th-straight game on Saturday when the Knicks take on the Hawks. However, he should be back to close out the week on the second night of their back-to-back. Miles McBride (groin) could return for that game as well. Cameron Payne, who is probable to play against Atlanta, should split the point guard minutes with Delon Wright on Saturday.

Payne has missed New York’s last four games with a sprained ankle. With Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride also out, Delon Wright and Tyler Kolek have handled the point guard responsibilities. If Payne and Brunson are available on Saturday, there won’t be much to gain from rostering Wright or Kolek in most leagues.

Brunson hasn’t played in nearly a month, and Deuce has missed seven straight. If one or both are able to take the court on Saturday, Delon Wright and Tyler Kolek could see their minutes reduced. The same is true of Cam Payne, who has missed four straight but returned to practice on Friday alongside Brunson and McBride.