Overview

• Indiana cut the 10-year veteran nine days after signing him for emergency depth, with Tyrese Haliburton out for the season and T. J. McConnell sidelined by a hamstring strain following Delon Wright’s preseason head injury.
• Cameron Payne appeared in three preseason games and shot 28.6% with nearly as many turnovers as assists, then sat the first half of Friday’s finale as rotations shifted.
• The move trims the roster to 18 players — 15 standard contracts and three two-ways — ahead of Monday’s deadline after several Exhibit 10 sign-and-waive transactions to steer players to the Noblesville Boom.
• Payne was on a non-guaranteed camp deal, so his release carries no cap hit and positions Indiana to keep center Tony Bradley as frontcourt insurance with James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson working back from Achilles injuries.
• With Andrew Nembhard starting, the backup role remains unsettled, with rookie Taelon Peter getting late-camp minutes and two-way guard Quenton Jackson’s hamstring status in question as the Pacers open Thursday vs. the Thunder.