HoopsHype.com Rumors

Two names being tossed around NBA circles at the league’s annual draft combine are Kevin Pritchard, currently the general manager of the Indiana Pacers and Troy Weaver, the vice-president and assistant general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Toronto Star

Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Toronto Raptors, Kevin Pritchard, Bryan Colangelo, Troy Weaver, Tim Leiweke 

Scott Agness: Pacers execs Walsh, Pritchard, Dinwiddie, Ryan Carr (Dir. of Scouting), Dr. Carr (psychologist) in Chicago for pre-draft combine, per source Twitter @ScottAgness

Indiana Pacers, Draft, Kevin Pritchard, Donnie Walsh 

Walsh said yesterday he would return if Bird doesn’t and owner Herb Simon wants him to. “I like this but I don’t need to do it,’’ Walsh said. Walsh said he will definitely run the draft in June. The Pacers general manager is highly regarded Kevin Pritchard. Last month, in a visit at the Garden, Walsh told The Post, “I took this job because Larry [Bird] wanted a year off. If Larry wants to come back, I’m out. I’m leaving.’’ New York Post

Indiana Pacers, Kevin Pritchard, Larry Bird, Owners, Herb Simon 

Walsh said he feels Bird might want to make a comeback after resting his bad shoulder. Walsh said yesterday he would return if Bird doesn’t and owner Herb Simon wants him to. “I like this but I don’t need to do it,’’ Walsh said. Walsh said he will definitely run the draft in June. The Pacers general manager is highly regarded Kevin Pritchard. Last month, in a visit at the Garden, Walsh told The Post, “I took this job because Larry [Bird] wanted a year off. If Larry wants to come back, I’m out. I’m leaving.’’ New York Post

Indiana Pacers, Kevin Pritchard, Larry Bird, Herb Simon 

Walsh, 72, said yesterday he isn’t sure he will be back next season. He said he only stepped in because Larry Bird needed a break. “I took this job because Larry wanted a year off,” Walsh said. “If Larry wants to come back, I’m out.’’ I’m leaving. If he doesn’t I don’t know what I’ll do.” Kevin Pritchard is Pacers GM. New York Post

Indiana Pacers, Kevin Pritchard, Donnie Walsh, Larry Bird 

Kevin Pritchard: Does anybody else get upset that their was so much red in the stands last night. Very frustrating. What can we do to change that? @Pacers Twitter @PacersKev

Indiana Pacers, Kevin Pritchard 

Mike Wells: To tell u how serious Indy was on making a deal, prez Donnie Walsh n GM Pritchard watched all of practice then they went their separate ways Twitter @MikeWellsNBA

Indiana Pacers, Trade, Kevin Pritchard, Donnie Walsh 

The group assembled in suite 35 on the Krieg DeVault Club Level of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Pritchard, who sat in the front of the room on a bar-style high chair, highlighted the key points of being a GM and explained the fundamentals of drafting, signing, and acquiring players. “It was amazing how educated the people were in the room,” Pritchard said afterwards. “The people had great questions. That’s what it’s ultimately about, trying to help them get in this business.” The number one job of a general manager, he said, is to communicate with the owner. It’s integral to constantly keep the team owner in the loop so that priorities are aligned, it’s understood what’s fiscally possible, and a culture is defined. NBA.com

Indiana Pacers, Kevin Pritchard 

Pritchard, a six-year NBA player, has worked in an NBA front office since 2004 when he was the director of player personnel for the Portland Trail Blazers. In 2007, he was promoted to General Manager. He’s currently in his second season with the Pacers and first as GM. An hour before the Pacers-Raptors game on Feb. 8, Pritchard is hosting a seminar, "How to Be a GM." He’s had the idea for a while, but after receiving tremendous feedback on twitter, he decided to move forward with the idea. "I thought about it a couple of times and the one thing I know is there’s a lot of people that want to get into business and they also need to get a little direction number one, but also get a foundation," Pritchard explained. NBA.com

Indiana Pacers, Kevin Pritchard 

The job is so complex that it would probably take days to understand some of the nuances and pieces to working in a front office. That’s why Pritchard says he will cover the fundamentals—which are just as important upstairs as they are on the basketball court. He also plans to answer questions from the participants. "You can’t really get into too much detail, but what you can do is give them a foundation so they can understand what being a general manager is all about, see if they want to do it, and how to get into the business and what is my typical day made up of." To earn a front office position, you have to be willing to work your way up. Just take a look at Peter Dinwiddie’s story. Before the season, he was promoted to Vice President of Basketball Operations, but he started with the franchise in ticket sales. A 'whatever it takes' mentality and perseverance are both vital components. NBA.com

Indiana Pacers, Kevin Pritchard 

The Trail Blazers hired Chris McGowan as president on Monday. He replaces Larry Miller, who replaced Steve Patterson, who replaced Bob Whitsitt. Also, McGowan will work alongside general manager Neil Olshey, who replaced Rich Cho, who replaced Kevin Pritchard, who replaced Patterson, who replaced John Nash, who replaced Whitsitt. Point is, it hasn't felt easy to explain around here since Whitsitt left, has it? The hope here isn't that McGowan will walk on water, or help a basketball team that feels headed to another NBA Draft Lottery find a miracle way out of this mess. Rather, the hope is that McGowan can work closely enough with Olshey to end the convoluted decade of madness and again make the basketball, not the business (or some gobbled combination) feel like it's driving the bus again. Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Kevin Pritchard, Larry Miller, Neil Olshey, Rich Cho, Steve Patterson, Bob Whitsitt, John Nash, Chris McGowan 

Have the Pacers gone as far as they can go with Danny Granger as their star? “I don’t believe that,” Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard told HOOPSWORLD. “I don’t buy that at all.” HoopsWorld

Indiana Pacers, Kevin Pritchard, Danny Granger 

The way Pritchard sees it, Granger was forced to play a role he was not naturally fit for when the Pacers made him their focal point. “Danny was put into a position a few years ago where he needed to score a lot and now we don’t need his scoring as much, we need his overall game and he’s a heck of an overall player,” Pritchard said. “That’s what we need out of Danny and he gives it. He’s shown to be very unselfish, he’s given up a lot of his offense to be a better defensive player last year. We got the fifth-best record in the league last year, you don’t just say, “We don’t need him.” That’s a bunch of baloney. I don’t believe that.” HoopsWorld

Indiana Pacers, Kevin Pritchard, Danny Granger 

Assisted by the Pacers’ new general manager, Kevin Pritchard, Walsh filled out the bench over the summer but called himself “kind of a caretaker.” Bird’s departure from a promising young team has been attributed to back and shoulder problems or organizational friction, depending on the source. Walsh, 71, said he did not know if Bird was merely on leave or gone for good, but added, “At my age, I’m no long-term solution.” He is, however, walking steadily, requiring only the occasional use of a cane, recovered from all that occurred after his three-year liaison that transported him from the suburbs of the city they call Naptown to a 2,700-square-foot apartment on the Upper West Side and to the Garden’s bright lights, where he was often struck by the thought, “Oh, man, this is the top of the food chain.” New York Times

Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Kevin Pritchard, Donnie Walsh 

Ben Golliver: IND GM Kevin Pritchard sent a copy of his new book to POR asst. Kaleb Canales, who is highlighted in 1 chapter for his work ethic & attitude Twitter @blazersedge

Indiana Pacers, Portland Trail Blazers, Coaching, Kevin Pritchard, Kaleb Canales 

Peter Dinwiddie has been promoted by the Indiana Pacers to Vice President of Basketball Operations. Dinwiddie will assist Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Kevin Pritchard and Pacers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh in various capacities, including compliance with the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, assisting in player contract negotiations, salary cap management and compliance with NBA player personnel rules. He is an Indianapolis native who attended Indiana University and has a degree from the New England School of Law. RealGM

Indiana Pacers, Kevin Pritchard, Donnie Walsh, Peter Dinwiddie 

Kevin Pritchard: Pau Gasol is a class act. Twitter

Indiana Pacers, Pau Gasol, Kevin Pritchard, Spain, Olympics 

Joan Nielsen: Bayno: "I called Kevin Pritchard… and said, ‘Look, this kid is really special. I think he’s a first-round pick, and I think he’s our guy.'" Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Kevin Pritchard, Brandon Roy, Bill Bayno 

Most front office people bring in their own personnel. But it was pretty obvious that general manager Kevin Pritchard would be elevated in the front office. How much did you know about him before this? Donnie Walsh: "I had dinner with Kevin when I first came back. I really didn't know him when I came in. Larry had already recommended him to Herb, (former general manager) David Morway was already gone, so when I walked in here, I knew he was going to be here. I've really enjoyed working with him. He's exactly the kind of guy I want to work with. I still make some calls, but he's really good at working the phones. I think sharing ideas -- he's been a general manager before -- is great. The way I see myself doing the job now, he's a perfect fit for me. I've got confidence in him. He's somebody I really enjoy talking about basketball with him." Indianapolis Star

Indiana Pacers, Kevin Pritchard, Donnie Walsh, David Morway 

Kevin Pritchard: As much as I like #twitter and the Internet - I still like reading the newspaper! #tradition #indystar Twitter

Indiana Pacers, Kevin Pritchard, Media