Former Hawks coach and current Pacers assistant Lloyd Pierce will coach the team should Rick Carlisle need to miss games, as expected, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Carlisle reportedly entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols after a positive COVID-19 test result after Wednesday’s win vs. the Knicks. The Pacers cancelled practice Thursday due to what the team called an “abundance of caution.”
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Carlisle is expected to miss multiple games. The Pacers are scheduled to face the Mavericks (Carlisle’s old team) on Friday night.
Pierce compiled a 63-120 record in two-plus seasons with the Hawks. He was fired after 34 games last season — when the Hawks made a run to the Eastern Conference finals under former Pacers coach Nate McMillan.
Along with everything else, the Pacers (11-16) are reportedly contemplating the idea of unloading veteran starters Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert and Myles Turner to retool with eyes on a rebuild.
The Cavaliers could be among the suitors for LeVert, as we wrote about earlier.
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