On December 16, Beijing time, Pacers owner Herb Simon personally held a press conference. He denied news that the Pacers were going to rebuild and said the team was talented enough to try to win every game. Herb Simon reiterated: "The Pacers are not going to give up games for the sake of draft picks, it's not the style of the team. ”
Earlier, Shams had revealed that the Pacers were ready to rebuild, and little Sabonis, Turner and LeVert would all be put on the shelves. With the team owner personally coming forward to refute the rumors, the scandal of the Pacers' large-scale reconstruction was even brought to an end.
Although the boss refused to rebuild, the players had already moved the idea of leaving the team. According to journalist Matt Moore, after four seasons with the Pacers, Sabonis Jr. is seeking "environmental change." For the past few weeks, Sa has been a hot figure on the NBA trading market.
This season, Sam averaged 18.5 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game, and he shot 59.1 percent from the field, ranking 8th in the league. Sa has 2 years left on his contract with the Pacers, which will last until the 2023-24 season. This season, Sa's contract salary is $18.56 million.
In addition to Sam, Turner has previously complained about the team's management. He believes that his position in the team is low and there is no guarantee of shooting. Turner wanted a bigger stage to show himself. Can the Pacers owner force back the rebuilding instructions when the players are distracted?