HANG TIME NEW JERSEY – We’ve known for more than a week that restricted free agent center Roy Hibbert would receive a max offer sheet worth $58 million over four years with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Usually, when an All-Star restricted free agent gets an outside offer, his team quickly makes it known (off the record) whether or not it will match. But the Pacers have remained pretty silent over the last week in regard to Hibbert. So the idea of Indy losing a major piece and the Eastern Conference playoff picture receiving a shake-up has been lingering.
Hibbert can’t officially sign the Blazers’ offer sheet until 9 p.m. PT on Tuesday, but Indianapolis Star reporter Mike Wells tweeted earlier this afternoon that the center was already in Portland.
Not long after that though, Wells came with the news that the Pacers would match Hibbert’s offer sheet.
So that’s that. And though the front office has undergone some changes in Indy, the core on the floor will remain the same. The team came to an agreement with free agent George Hill on a new five-year deal last week.
Pencil the Pacers in for another top-four seed in the East in 2013.
Blazers can’t get no love…
They will be in the playoffs, but I don’t think they will be in the top 4. The Heat will be there, perhaps the Bulls depending on Rose’s timetable for return, the Celtics (they are old, I know), and the Hawks or Knicks.
Hawks? Seriously?
LOL at hawks!
Hawks got some good pieces back just for Joe Johnson. That’s not surprising… all though their lingering on to that 4 spot which could slip to 5 if Nets prove to be something fierce.
Where is Brooklyn Nets? And really?Hawks???
Where is Brooklyn Nets??? And really.. Hawks???? What is that.
I love when people talk basketball when they dont know anything hahaha
Ummmmm…you forgot the nets….
wow hawks will be 6, 7 or 8 like usual the knicks will be right there to they have no chemistry. Plus the celtics will be 4 or 5.
1 Heat
2 pacers
3 nets
4 celtics
5 bulls
6,7,8 sixers.knicks,hawks, (most likely in that order)
9,10 bucks,raptors.
Heat, Bulls, Celtics, Pacers, Nets, Bucks, Sixers, Knicks.
Camby makes no difference in that lineup, he will come from th bench for limited minutes. He can’t run with the Heat, against the Bulls bigs (Noah, Gibson, Boozer), he cant stop Hibbert, he is too old to even bother Kevin Garnett. Can’t do much against Brook Lopez (or Dwight Howard if he lands in Brooklyn). Basically, the Portland Trailblazers did catch a break by not being able to sign him.
Pacers were the 3 seed this year. Coming back better, expect to see them there again. Hawks? Seriously?
bucks 1 in easter confrence , heat 2 , bulls 3, nets 4th know
how are the bucks 1and where are the celts and knicks
How in the world do you think the Milwaukee Butts are going to be the number 1 seed in the east? I am absolutely positive you are DIEHARD Butts fan
Bucks? Who have they signed?
BREAKING NEWS: DWIGHT HOWARD SENT TO THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS!!!
BREAKING NEWS: just kidding
Seriously????
Bucks in front of the heat?
The heat that got RAY ALLEN???
What Bucks?
Milwaukee has a basketball team??? =O lmfaooooooo!!
Milwaukee(BUCKS) has a better chance of making the playoffs then the knicks who lost landry fiels and still has no chemistry.
1.heat
2.nets (if they get howard) (3rd if they dont)
3.celtics (2nd if nets dont get howard)
4.pacers
5.76ers
6. hawks
7.bucks
8.knicks
Bulls make it into the playoffs if they do as good as they did last year with their bench because rose will miss about 1/4 to half of the season
east
1. heat
2 to 8 — up for grabs
Haha. Heat never finish 1. They’re a playoff built team but in regular season, they’re inconsistent (like the Celtics). They’ll probably finish 2, 3 or 4.
This is not good for Twolves fans! lol as now the portland “JAIL” blazers wil have enough money to mach offer for Butummn
They havent been the jail blazers for quite some time now…. moron
Thank You for pointing out the bright side of the deal…Batum is ours
1st Miami Heat
2nd Chicago Bulls
3rd Boston Celtics or Brooklyn Nets (if they get Howard)
4th New York Knicks
5th Atlanta Hawks
6th Brooklyn Nets (without Howard)
7th Philadelphia 76ers
8th Milwaukee Bucks
The hawks will struggle without johnson and may not even make playoffs, let alone 5th place
I’m not sure they’ll make it either mr.
I notice that the Pacers aren’t on the list your crazy if you think they aren’t going to the playoffs again as a 4th or 5th seed!
This dude who put the bucks in first place in the east is obviously talking about nba2k12. He is probably the top drafted player in my player mode. That’s the only way the bucks are gonna be first in any conference.
I play bobcats in 2K12 but still cant win it
He traded for LeBron, Kobe, D12, and CP3.
Rose is gone for the season, how are bulls a top 3 team?
He comes back in late february, early march..so he’s gone for a little over HALF of the season.
Lol the blazers punked Indiana by getting them to pay that much for a guy who’s 12 and 9
haha funny comment
Yeh but Indiana did Portland a favour. if they didn;t match he would have gone to Portland and been injured for all but 34 games.
Do you even watch NBA? He has started most of his career and He down to earth. Money won’t change him. Hell he buys a whole section of seat and gives them away to crazy fans!! Name another player that does that. A WHOLE SECTION!
Klove bought tickets for the twolves fan.. cant remember the whole story though
the nets are in the 2 seed once they get howard and miami takes #1 easy, in the 3rd spot is the bulls
I love how you think lebron, anthony(COMPLETE GARBAGE), bosh, wade(he will start to struggle as his knees will go bad..I called it remember that), and chalmers is a better starting lineup than dwight, ANY PF(ebanks will probably play this position), wallace, jj, and d-will. Oh, and if you’re thinking of throwing ray allen at me I throw you his statistics after his surgery and age right back. Along with saying what about j-rich as a super back-up who’s a 2 guard position? In other words, I call and raise you a finger…b!+$% lmfaoooo!
I’m loving this free agency stuff… the heat will be able to win a few more if this keeps up.. paying 2nd tier players 15 mil a year and up is going to tie up franchises for future pieces they won’t be able to get and can’t trade… now Indiana has to overpay a player to keep him.. no superstars on indiana, but a few are getting paid like they are.. luv it..
That’s fear I’m sensing, uh-oh looks like we found us a smart one in southbeach. I’ve been searching all day for someone with some brains from down there lmfao. That’s right, be scared because they’re more super teams now that threaten that stunt you guys pulled…
pacers will be in top 3 in east another year of paul george and team chemistry!
see now that’s how not to be a sell out…Ray Allen could take a couple of lessons from this move
Idk chicago will be top 5 especially rose is out almost the whole season.. And yeah miami will riegn the east for awhile
Nope, they won’t..age is a factor for wade. I said it first folks, I got dibs and when it happens you better not tell your friends that YOU called it. Because I called it two days before his surgery so…it’s mine.
Will not be top 5.. My correction
If Brooklyn get Dwight They have the chance to make it to top 4
Why Hibbert??? WHY??? Wait this isn’t your decision; the team said they would match.
Why Indiana Front Office??? WHY???
I’m Glad i think Centers in general nowadays are overated and I think Hibbert is also
Portland Better match for Batum.. I think he will have a terrific season next year and he is young and getting better everyday… Batum as a co-captain along with Aldridge
Even though this didn’t go through, I still hope Portland refuses to match for Batum unless the front office has an ulterior motive… he isn’t worth it. Don’t know a whole lot about Hibbert, but I’m guessing he wasn’t either.
Really….Do you guys really think the Pacers will slip that far down? They are making progress PEOPLE!!!!
I got…
1.Miami Heat
2.Indiana Pacers
3. NY Knicks
4. Boston Celtics
5. Philadelphia 76ers
6.Brooklyn Nets
7.Chicago Bulls
8.Atlanta Hawks
Note: “Don’t hate, Appreciate HONEYYY!!!” -Ghetto Girl
1.Bulls (Even with Rose out half the season)
2.Heat
3 – 8. Who knows or who cares, none of them have a realistic chance
How can anyone say the Bulls won’t be 1 or 2 regardless of who trades where (excluding Howard to Nets – don’t think it will happen unless nets let jackson go to orlando with lopez). Bulls came first with Drose out for half the season this year. If Drose is back by December I think Bulls are 1 or 2 – no one can handle him.
He comes back most likely in january or february, so I don’t know why people keep saying whole season. Gotta READ people(not talking to southbeachers) lmfao.
Damn. Hibbert on this team would have been a deadly combo with LaMarcus. If I’m HIbbert I’m mad.
Bucks number 1…Lol..this guy is crazy..
Hahaahhaha so funny how can anyone say bulls will be 1 or 2 this season, yah they r number 1 seed in this past playoffs but they lost to a number 8 seed team hahahah so get over with it.. With rose out of the season, bulls r not goin anywhere this year they will be a low seeded team .. Sorry bulls fan jst accept the truth that they r nothing without rose on the floor. Yess they did won some few games without rose last year , but do u guys think it will happn again this coming season with the other teams r getting better with free agents n drafts and bulls right now r not doin anything to make ther team get better for the lost of rose. Sorry bulls fans!!
I have to give it to bulls fans, they didn’t JUST lose their mvp(which if the heat did….) they also lost their big man who’s one of the best center defenders in the league and can also score. With an injured deng too, so…hahaha? Stop snorting that booger candy and go read a book and get some knowledge please. Read about how rose isn’t gone for the year and should be back by january-february dipf%$ lmfaooo! smhsfh Gah, heat fans…make my day when I see what partying so hard does to the brain.
pacers and lakers in the championship next year
Hornets vs. Supersonics final! Larry Johnson and Shawn Kemp will have it out this year. Winner will get a ham sandwich!
Here’s mine
1-Heat
2-Pacers
3-Celtics[or nets with Dwight Howard]
4-Knicks
5-Nets[without Dwight Howard]
6-Hawks[They still have Horford, Smith, and Teuge]
7-Bulls[without Rose]
8-76ers
1
LOL the people who even ain’t mentioning the Pacers in the playoffs are nuts. Indiana is playoff bound for sure, and envisioning a top 4 seed for them is not a crazy thing.
Good decison by Indiana– there is a dearth of able Centers Nowadays– Hibbert is a gem that needs some more polishing to shine brighter.
OKC
LAL
LAC
SAS
Memphis
Denver
Dallas
Utah
He meaning the Tampa bay bucs must be! LMAO
Dirk Nowitzki is very sorry and sorrow now
He should leave the Mavs and finish his years in New York or Boston.
As a Heat’s fan, I expect the team to win the NBA championships the next two seasons. No team is currently good enough to beat the Heat in a seven game series. If Dwight Howard ends up with the New Jersey Nets as is highly speculated, the missing piece will be the head coach. Phil Jackson will be hired to take the team to the Eastern Conference finals. Phil’s reputation is to take ready made hall of fame players to win championships. Phil Jackson has to take a pay cut to accomplish this feat. I expect Avery Johnson to be fired if New Jersey Nets with Dwight Howard does not make it to the Eastern Conference Championships next season. New Yorkers cannot wait especially with the big three of Williams, Howard and Johnson.
This is my seeding for the Eastern Conference playoffs next season. (1) Miami Heat (2) Indiana Pacers (3) Boston Celtics
(4) New Jersey Nets – with Dwight Howard (4) Philadephia 76ers (5) New York Knicks (6) Chicago Bulls (7) Atlanta Hawks
(8) Cleaveland Cavaliers. Byron Scott is a very good rebuilding head coach, the reason for including the Cavaliers.
That’s good that Hibbert decided to stay with the team and didn’t chase the money. The team is right there in the same position as they were last year to make another run in the playoffs.
My friend TJ is retarded
I dont see the Hawks making the playoffs this year and if they do it will be as a 7th or 8th seed. I see the Knicks if Melo and Amare mesh finally, they can be a 5th seed. I see Chicago/Miami as 1 and 2 again, Pacers as 3, Celtics as 4, Knicks in 5, I can see Phili as the 6th Seed, and Milaukee, Atlanta, New Jersey, and Orlando battling it out for the 7th, and 8th spots. I see a conference finals rematch with Miami vs Boston, or possibly Miami vs Indiana, depends on the seeding again. Chicago will be good, but without Rose, they fail in the 1st or 2nd round AGAIN