Pacers Summer League 2025 Preview: Johnny Furphy headlines Vegas entry
After a Finals run and quick offseason reset, the Pacers are back in action with a young Summer League squad led by draft picks Johnny Furphy and Kam Jones.
When you play deep into the season, it’s a quick turnaround for everything in the not-so-off … season.
It’s a good problem to have, certainly, forcing a Game 7 of the NBA Finals. For the Pacers, who led the OKC Thunder by one at halftime, they were two quarters short of winning the first NBA title in franchise history.
The NBA is on its way to becoming a year-round sport. Like the NFL, it is always trying to stay in the sports conversation — even in August and September with the announcement of preseason and regular-season schedules, promotions, jersey details, etc.
Team staffers took four days off after the season concluded, then they got right back to work in the gym.
In the meantime, the front office traded away its first-round pick (to re-acquired its 2026 1st), acquired pick 38 — then on Day 2 selected Kam Jones and Taelon Peter.
Jones is a combo guard out of Marquette who could be counted on right away with Tyrese Haliburton already ruled out for the 2025-26 season after undergoing surgery almost immediately on his torn right Achilles tendon. Peter is a hard worker, a sharpshooter, and a standout on the analytical charts.
Summer League in Las Vegas tips off Thursday — and the Pacers play in the second game.
Attendees will go from 110 degrees outside to about 65 inside as the games, as usual, are held on the campus of UNLV.
Summer League is essentially the NBA’s annual convention — the place to be for all involved. From team executives to staffers, agents to media, game officials and others trying to land a job in sports.
There will be 76 games in 11 days with a champion crowned for the 12th straight year.
All 30 NBA teams have an entry and are guaranteed at least five games — played from July 10-17. The top four teams (determined by winning percentage) advance to the playoffs over next weekend, July 19-20. The Summer Heat won last year, edging the Summer Grizzlies in overtime.
Every game will be televised on either the ESPN family of networks or NBA TV. And if you want to keep it simple, all games will be available on the ESPN app.
Fieldhouse Files will be there to cover multiple games.
This is a valuable time for the teams and players alike. For the teams, it’s figuring out what they have and for the players, it’s trying to earn a spot — whether in the NBA, G League, or overseas.
The Summer Pacers will be coached by Isaac Yacob, who joined the team before the 2022-23 season. He was previously in Sacramento for three years — and that’s where he developed what is now a strong relationship with Haliburton.
Before that, the California native was a player development and video coordinator intern for the LA Lakers for the 2018-19 season.
Yacob has always wanted to be a coach and he’s worked his way up — from video coordinator to assistant coach for player development in Indiana.
So when head coach Rick Carlisle, a sure-thing Hall of Famer, asked if Yacob wanted to coach the Summer Pacers, it was a no-brainer for him.
Yacob will be assisted by:
Mo Baker, player development coach
Martin Tombe, video coordinator
Luke Stephens, basketball development coordinator
Ayami Sato will serve as athletic trainer
Summer Pacers Roster
The Summer Pacers are headlined by their draft picks: Johnny Furphy in 2024 and Jones in 2025.
Jones, notably is dealing with a hamstring issue so it’s unclear how much he will play.
All three two-way players from last season are also on the roster: Quenton Jackson, who this week signed a new two-way contract, along with RayJ Dennis and Enrique Freeman — who the team is high on as well.
Exactly half the roster, seven of 14 guys, are new to the NBA.
Summer Pacers Schedule
Thursday, July 10 v Cavaliers, 5 p.m. ET | Cox Pavilion | NBA TV
Saturday, July 12 at Thunder, 5:30 p.m. ET | Cox Pavilion | NBA TV
Monday, July 14 v Bulls, 6 p.m. ET | Cox Pavilion | ESPNU
Thursday, July 17 at Knicks, 4:30 p.m. ET | Thomas 7 Mack | ESPN2
Friday, July 18 vs Pelicans, 9 p.m. ET | Cox Pavilion | ESPN