Indiana

Pacers

While Johnson did not play much last season, the veteran forward has been a critical mentor for the young Pacers. He appeared in only nine games in 2023-24, so there’s no need to consider Johnson’s potential fantasy value in 2024-25.

Nembhard was one of the breakout stars of last season’s playoffs, taking on an increased workload while Tyrese Haliburton dealt with injuries. Nembhard’s extension cements him as one of Indiana’s cornerstone pieces alongside Haliburton.

As expected, Walker has had a strong summer. That hasn’t always meant efficient shooting, as we saw in this game. However, he is averaging 18.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.0 steal, 1.0 block and 2.8 triples through their first four games of the summer. Walker should play a larger role this upcoming season for Indiana than he did as a rookie, but with how deep they are, that may not lead to much fantasy production. At this point, he shouldn’t be more than a late round dart throw.

Furphy looked really good through his first three games of the summer, but he did struggle a bit in this one. However, there’s no reason to be concerned. The second round pick is averaging 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.5 triples per game this summer, which is impressive to see out of a player that is still only 19 years old. He may be able to earn rotation minutes for the Pacers this season, but his role will likely be too small for him to impact fantasy much in year one.

After a relatively muted performance in his summer debut, Furphy looked more comfortable on the court on Sunday. He led the Pacers in scoring while recording a full stat line, making plays on both ends of the floor. Cracking the Pacers rotation as a rookie will be difficult due to the team’s depth, but Furphy will have value in dynasty leagues.

The eighth overall pick in last summer’s draft, Walker played limited NBA minutes as a rookie. And with the Pacers re-signing Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin, the path to rotation minutes at power forward appears to be blocked. As a result, he will see plenty of time at the three in Las Vegas. “He’s going to start at the 3, but today’s game is positionless,” Pacers summer league coach Jannero Pargo said. “If he’s ahead of the play, we want him dunking it and playing in the paint. If he’s not, spacing the floor, handling the ball, playing in pick-and-roll, making decisions off the dribble. In all facets of the game, we want to use him because he’s that kind of a player.” Regardless of where Walker slots into the lineup once the games count, he’ll be part of a loaded Pacers rotation on the wings. While he remains a viable option in dynasty leagues, his value in redraft formats may be limited in 2024-25.

Wiseman will join his fourth team since being selected No. 2 in 2020. He’ll provide depth behind Myles Turner and will scrap for minutes with Isaiah Jackson. Wiseman could get a slight boost in fantasy value if he’s able to secure the top backup spot behind Turner, but he’s a deep-league dart-throw at best. Detroit’s center depth consists of Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, which means that unless the Pistons make a move for another big man, Beef Stew should play more minutes at the five in 2024-25. That could lead to more rebounds and a higher FG%.

Indiana acquired Toppin last summer, but after opening the year as part of the starting unit, he was a reserve for the end of the year. He’ll continue to play an important backup role behind Pascal Siakam for the foreseeable future, though his fantasy upside will be capped, barring injuries in front of him.

Smith enjoyed career-highs in FG% (59.2) and three-point percentage (42.4) in his fourth NBA season, and he should have no shortage of suitors given his ability to space the floor and block shots.

While he may not have attended a high-profile school, Freeman is one of the most accomplished collegians in this draft class. A three-time All-MAC selection at Akron, he won MAC Player of the Year honors this past season and helped lead the Zips to the NCAA tournament. Freeman’s fifth season was his best, as he averaged 18.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.7 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game. While Freeman shot 37% from three last season, he did so on 1.5 attempts per game. Despite standing at 6-foot-7, Freeman possessed high-level defensive abilities, and that may be where his “bread” needs to be buttered if he’s to stick in the NBA. Freeman will likely have a tough time carving out a role as a rookie behind the likes of Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin for a Pacers team that was a few wins away from reaching the 2024 NBA Finals, so fantasy managers shouldn’t expect too much from him in year one.