Doug McDermott’s NBA run is over.
The former Indiana Pacers forward has retired after 12 seasons in the league, closing out a career that started with a first-round selection in the 2014 NBA Draft. Before turning pro, McDermott was the National College Player of the Year at Creighton in 2014.
For Pacers fans, McDermott’s most memorable stretch came during his three full seasons in Indiana from 2018-21, when he carved out a role as one of the team’s best shooters. His top statistical season came in 2020-21, when he averaged 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 53.2 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from 3-point range.
McDermott returned to Indiana for an 18-game stint in the 2023-24 season after the Pacers acquired him in a trade that sent Buddy Hield the other way. He gave the team another floor-spacer during that stretch, the kind of piece that helped open things up offensively when he was on the court.
His NBA journey began with the Chicago Bulls, the team he initially joined after being drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the No. 11 pick and then traded to Chicago on draft night. He spent a few seasons there before moving on to the Oklahoma City Thunder, then the New York Knicks, where he appeared in 55 games.
At the 2017-18 trade deadline, McDermott was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks, though he never signed back. He later landed in Indiana on a three-year, $22 million deal and became a familiar part of the Pacers’ rotation. After the 2021 season, the team did not retain him, and he went on to play for the San Antonio Spurs before returning to the Pacers.
McDermott finished his career with the Sacramento Kings, where he played his final two seasons. It was a winding path for a player who entered the league with a high draft slot, but he leaves behind a career that had real value and a lasting place in Pacers history.
In Other News...
Pacers Already Face A Pressure Point With Haliburton Sidelined
The Pacers are already dealing with an early-season squeeze, and Tyrese Haliburtons hamstring injury has only sharpened the focus on what this roster looks like without its engine. Indiana has opened 4-8, a rough start shaped in part by injuries, and the front office is already weighing mid-tier roster moves as it tries to steady the season before the standings get away from it.
What makes the situation tricky is that the problems are not isolated to one spot. Indiana has questions in the backcourt and the frontcourt, and the team still needs more reliable offensive support around its core while getting more from center Ivica Zubac. For a group trying to get back into playoff contention, the next move may matter almost as much as Haliburtons return. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers May Have Finally Found Their Formula Without Haliburton
The Pacers finally put together a cleaner night in a 114-101 win over the Wizards, and it came at a time when they badly needed something to hang onto. With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined until at least Thanksgiving, Indiana has been searching for a way to steady itself after a 4-8 start, and this was one of the more encouraging signs that the group can survive for a while without its star point guard.
What stood out was the kind of work that does not always show up first in the box score, especially on the glass and in the collective effort department. If Indiana is going to keep from slipping further in the standings while Haliburton is out, it will need more nights like this one, where the pace is manageable, the rebounding is there and the load is shared a little more evenly across the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Face A Tough Knicks Test With Little Margin For Error
The NBA Cup has already put the Pacers in a tricky spot, and now they get another tough assignment with little room to breathe. Indiana and New York both come in winless in group play, which only raises the stakes for a matchup that already looks difficult on paper, especially with the Pacers set to be without Tyrese Haliburton.
New York has been playing well enough to enter as the favorite, and the individual battles should tell plenty of the story. Karl-Anthony Towns and Ivica Zubac stand out as one of the frontcourt matchups to watch, while Andrew Nembhards defensive work against Jalen Brunson could go a long way toward deciding whether Indiana can keep this one close. [Read more 🡒]