

Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (ankle) has been listed as questionable for Tuesday's Game 4 against the New York Knicks. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has said Nesmith will "likely" be a game-time decision for the contest. The 25-year-old is trying to overcome a right ankle sprain suffered in Sunday's Game 3 loss. Having Nesmith available would be crucial for the Pacers, as he is among the team's top defensive players and has shown incredible shooting efficiency in the postseason. Nesmith has fired in 53.5 percent of his triples in the playoffs, with his biggest performance coming in Game 1 against the Knicks, where he finished 8-for-9 from downtown. If Nesmith is unable to play Tuesday night, Ben Sheppard and Bennedict Mathurin will likely be called upon to take on more responsibilities.


According to ESPN's Kevin Pelton, the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets are teams to watch as possible landing spots for Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga. It's widely known the Nets will have plenty of money to spend this offseason. However, Chicago's situation is more complicated, so a sign-and-trade scenario could be in play, with the Bulls sending center Nikola Vucevic to Golden State. Kuminga, who will be a restricted free agent, averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 boards, and 2.2 assists in 47 appearances last season. Unfortunately, he fell out of the rotation throughout most of the postseason, so it seems the front office may be ready to move on. At any rate, the 22-year-old should see a substantial uptick in production in Brooklyn and Chicago. On the other hand, Kuminga's ceiling won't be as high if he stays with the Warriors, especially with Jimmy Butler III and Stephen Curry on the roster.


According to ESPN's Kevin Pelton, the Philadelphia 76ers may have a tougher time retaining restricted free-agent guard/forward Quentin Grimes. Philly has the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and the team is already operating at the luxury tax line. As a result, the front office may look to avoid entering the second apron, which would give Grimes the ability to search for a new team this offseason. The 25-year-old had the best stretch of his career in 28 games last season in Philadelphia, averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. However, he did all of that mostly while Tyrese Maxey (finger), Joel Embiid (knee), and Paul George (adductor, knee) were sidelined. Pelton added a few teams to watch that include Brooklyn and Charlotte, although the Nets are projected to have more spending power than other franchises around the National Basketball Association. With that in mind, Grimes is someone to monitor moving ahead. If he stays in Philadelphia, he'll have trouble being as productive, considering Maxey, George, and Embiid are expected to be back in the equation. But if Grimes heads to Brooklyn or Charlotte, he'll have a chance to earn consistent playing time, including carving out a spot in the starting lineup.


New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson might start in Sunday's postseason meeting with Indiana. Karl-Anthony Towns hasn't looked the best, especially on the defensive end. As a result, head coach Tom Thibodeau may need Robinson in the middle, with KAT potentially sliding over to the four spot, similar to the role he played in his final few seasons in Minnesota. Robinson has averaged only 4.0 points in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals. However, he has logged 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per contest. If the 27-year-old finds himself in the starting lineup, he'll likely see a surge in attention from DFS managers. Unfortunately, Josh Hart may have a tough time being as productive as usual, considering he is anticipated to move to the bench.


Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner scored 16 points in Friday's playoff victory over New York. The 2015 No. 11 overall pick shined in the previous series versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, he hasn't been nearly as potent against the Knicks, averaging 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 25.0% shooting from downtown, all down from the Conference semifinals. With Mitchell Robinson in the mix and dominating the glass, head coach Rick Carlisle may need more size underneath the rim in Game 3, meaning Turner might sit more on Sunday.
