Rick Carlisle isn’t sounding like a coach who’s anywhere close to calling it a career.
The Pacers head coach, who turns 67 this October, still has several years left on his contract and says he’s fully locked in on the job ahead, even as Indiana pushes toward championship ambitions. On Draymond Green’s podcast, Carlisle talked openly about where he is in his coaching life and made it clear retirement isn’t on his radar.
“ Nobody wants to overstay their welcome… I still love it,” Carlisle said. “ It’s a pleasure to go to work every day. … I’m going to ride this as long as I can.”
Carlisle has plenty pulling at his attention away from the sideline, too. According to Scott Horner of the Indy Star, his hobbies include playing piano and flying airplanes. But for now, coaching is still the center of gravity.
Around the Eastern Conference, Nikola Vucevic had at least some serious offseason interest from overseas before settling back in Orlando. Before he signed a one-year deal to return to the Magic, the veteran center held exploratory talks with Serbian club Crvena Zvezda. Team president Zeljko Drcelic went so far as to describe the situation as a “gentleman’s agreement” that Vucevic would join the club if no NBA offer came through.
“ If he did not receive an NBA offer, he would put on the Crvena Zvezda jersey,” Drcelic said. “ Since he is an elite athlete who continues to take care of his body and his career, it is clear that the door is not closed.”
In Boston, Jordan Walsh is looking at his new three-year extension as a turning point. The 22-year-old forward said the deal gives him a fresh runway after spending his first three seasons proving he belonged.
“ I think it’s a new starting point, kind of a checkpoint for my career. I think that the first three years of my career was trying to prove that I could play in the league,” he said in an interview with NBC Sports Boston (video link).” I think I’ve proven that … I’m an NBA player; now it’s about getting better at the areas that I’m weak so I continue to get better and earn more and produce more.”
And in New York, Tyler Nickel made enough of an impression during the Knicks’ Summer League run that his former Vanderbilt coach, Mark Byington, saw the fit right away. Andrew Crane of the New York Post wrote that Byington believed the Knicks were a natural landing spot for Nickel because of his confidence and fast release from beyond the arc.
“ You got to guard him,” Byington said. “ And look, if a team’s trying to take him out, well, that’s more room for [Jalen] Brunson and [ Karl-Anthony Towns ] and everybody else out there. But if they don’t, if they help off of him, well, he’s going to make them pay.”
Byington also acknowledged that Nickel may have to wait for his chances early, but he pointed to the way Knicks coach Mike Brown used minutes last season as reason to believe opportunities could come during the rookie year. “ When his opportunity comes, he’s just got to be ready, and he’s the type of guy that will be,” Byington said.
In Other News...
Knicks Could Face A Costly 2027 Decision Around Karl-Anthony Towns
The 2027 free-agent picture already looks like it could get crowded in a hurry, with a number of marquee names potentially lining up for the market if contracts and player-option decisions break a certain way. For the Knicks, that looming class matters because it adds another layer to every long-term roster conversation, especially with the salary cap set to keep squeezing contenders and make every major commitment carry extra weight.
Karl-Anthony Towns sits right at the center of that math, and the Knicks will have to think carefully about how they map out the next two seasons around him. His future is part of a much bigger leaguewide picture, one that could be shaped by extension talks, opt-out decisions and how teams view their chances of keeping a title core intact without running into harsh financial penalties. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Are Losing Two More Pieces Of Their Championship Core
The Knicks are seeing another bit of turnover from the group that helped fuel their recent title run, with free agent center Trey Jemison now landing a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors after spending last season in New York. For a team that just reached the top of the league, these are the kinds of small but notable departures that can add up, especially when they involve a player who gave the roster front-court depth and a front-office voice tied to the clubs rise.
Gersson Rosas is also leaving, with the vice president of basketball operations announcing his departure from the organization. Rosas was part of the front office that helped build the championship-winning roster, so his exit removes another familiar piece from the machinery that got the Knicks to this point, even if the bigger core remains in place. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Get An Early Test Against A Raptors Threat Fans Cant Ignore
The East keeps shifting around New York, and one of the more intriguing ripple effects could come from Toronto. With the 76ers, Heat and Pacers all reshaping themselves in a big way, the Raptors are the club Knicks fans may want to watch most closely if their own offseason picture is going to get clearer. A potential move for Kawhi Leonard would instantly change the way that matchup looks, especially with the Knicks trying to measure themselves against the top of the conference.
They will not have to wait long to get a read on it. New York is set to see Toronto twice in the preseason, which should offer an early look at how the two teams stack up before the games start counting. If the Raptors do end up making that kind of splash, those October meetings could feel less like tune-ups and more like a first glimpse at a rival the Knicks may be chasing all season. [Read more 🡒]