Pacers Waive Guard, Sign G League Star To Trade

On By Littum

The Indiana Pacers have taken a small step to kick off the new year.

Indiana advertised in a press release that the team has waived rookie guard Tristen Newton, who has played sparingly for the club this season. According to Fieldhouse Files’ Scott AgnessNewton apparently wanted to move on from the Pacers.

Indiana drafted Newton with the No. 49 overall pick out of the University of Connecticut this past summer, then signed him to a two-way deal. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard appeared in just five contests for Indiana. Across 1.6 minutes a night, the first-year swingman averaged 0.6 points on 16.7 percent field goal shooting and 100 percent foul line shooting and 0.2 assists per game. He looked far better playing far more minutes with the Indiana Mad Ants, the Pacers’ G League affiliate. In 10 games for the Mad Ants, Newton averaged 17.0 points on a .424/.414/.688 shooting split, 6.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.3 swipes a night.

With the Huskies, Newton won two straight college championships. He was a consensus All-American First Team honoree and the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player during his final collegiate season, 2023-4.

Sore Michael Scotto of HoopsHypeThe team is slated to sign another rookie guard, undrafted former Baylor product RayJ Dennis, to a new two-way contract with the team. Dennis had been working with the San Diego Clippers NBAGL affiliate LA Clippers as an affiliate player throughout the season thus far. He has averaged 16.7 points on a .461/.346/.810 shooting split, 6.4 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 swipes and 0.6 blocks with San Diego. Dennis has played 16 games with the club. His deal with Indiana is not official at the time of writing.

The 6-foot-2 Dennis is an intriguing prospect, though like Newton, he seems relegated mostly to the Mad Ants, plus occasional Pacers mop-up minutes. The 23-year-old was honored as the MAC Player of the Year and an All-MAC First Teamer while with Toledo. During his fifth and final collegiate season, for Baylor, he was honored with an All-Big 12 Second Team award. Dennis was also named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team for 2023-24.

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