Former NBA guard Jannero Pargo and player development coach Isaac Yacob have been named assistant coaches under head coach Rick Carlislethe Pacers announced today in a press release. Pargo will also hold the title of director of player development.
The promotions represented just two of many changes to the coaching staff and front office announced by Indiana on Monday. Martin Tombe (assistant coach, player development), Joel Okafor (head video coordinator, Mike Bron (vice president of player personnel), and KJ Pritchard (college scout/director of grassroots scouting) were among the others to receive promotions, while Ryan Curran (assistant video coordinator) and Luca Desta (director of college scouting) were two of the new additions to the Pacers’ staff.
We have more out of Indiana:
Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton and new starting center Ivica Zubac have yet to play a game together, but Zubac is confident that it won’t take long for the duo to mesh, writes Zion Brown of The Indianapolis Star. “It felt really natural for me,” Zubac said of playing with Haliburton in pre-camp scrimmages earlier this month. “It’s never hard playing with smart point guards. We don’t need much time to gel together.”
Although the Pacers don’t have room under their first-apron hard cap to carry veteran forward James Johnson on their opening night roster, general manager Chad Buchanan has suggested Johnson could return later in the season and the team is enthusiastic about having the veteran leader in attendance for training camp. “He won’t hold his tongue for anyone,” Pacers forward Obi Toppin said, per Brown. “He knows what we need to be successful. Even if it’s for a couple days, he’s going to make his presence is known and make sure our team knows what it takes to get to that level.”
Zubac figures to get the lion’s share of minutes at the five, but Buchanan said last week that he believes the Pacers have no shortage of options at center, per Tony East of Circle City Spin. “Jay (Huff’s) there. Obi plays some five,” he said. “Coach even flirts with Jalen Slawson a little there at the five at times too. Larry (Nance Jr.) just gives us an additional depth.”
The Pacers rarely pay luxury tax penalties, but they’re operating over the tax line this season and currently project to do so in 2027/28 too, according to East, who takes a closer look in a story for Forbes at the team’s cap situation going forward.
In case you missed it, coming off the Achilles tear that cost him the entire 2025/26 season, Haliburton declared himself “100%” with “no restrictions” during his media day availability on Monday.