Day one of free agency is officially in the books, and there was a good amount of movement. But before we dive into that, let’s look at the latest Pacers news. According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of the Stein Line, the Indiana Pacers have interest in Kelly Oubre Jr., Gary Trent Jr., and Josh Okogie. Stein and Fischer also reported that Indiana had strong interest in reacquiring big man, Thomas Bryant, but he made a verbal agreement with the Cavaliers to stay in Cleveland. Jan 18, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConnectStein and Fischer weren’t the only reporters to share that Indiana’s interest in the defensive minded wing. Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal said “The Indiana Pacers have strong interest in Kelly Oubre Jr. in free agency.” Then, Yahoo! Sports NBA Insider, Kelly Iko, shared that Oubre Jr. is planning to meet with multiple teams including the Pacers, Trail Blazers, 76ers, and Lakers, among others. Chad Buchanan has made it clear in his offseason interviews that the Pacers want to improve their wing depth, and Oubre Jr. is the perfect free agent to fill that void the Pacers. 76ers Sign Dean Wade; Lakers Nearing Deal with Grimes, Mamukelashvili; Williams III Returns to PortlandMar 15, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (9) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (32) during the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectIn other news that could impact the teams involved in the Oubre Jr. sweepstakes, the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a 4-year, $39M deal with former Cavaliers forward, Dean Wade. The Los Angeles Lakers are the front runners to land Philadelphia’s Quentin Grimes, and Toronto’s Sandro Mamukelashvili. This would eat into some of the potential money the Lakers could offer Oubre Jr. Portland’s Robert Williams III agreed to a new deal with the Trail Blazers, but they are still under the luxury tax by $11.8M, and can use the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Oubre Jr., which is more available money the Indiana Pacers currently have to offer. Toronto Trades for Kawhi LeonardOct 19, 2018; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) against the Boston Celtics at Scotiabank Arena. The Raptors beat the Celtics 113-101. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe first transaction happened in the afternoon when Shams Charania of ESPN shared that the Toronto Raptors reacquired superstar, Kawhi Leonard, for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and multiple picks. The last time the league saw Leonard in a Raptors’ jersey he was hosting the Larry O’Brien trophy and winning them their only NBA championship. This is a massive move in the league and the Eastern Conference got that much stronger because of it. LeBron James’ Lakers Era Comes to an EndMar 25, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) runs down court during the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectAnd there is still more that could shape the rest of the league as LeBron James told the Los Angeles Lakers he would not be returning to the franchise and would become a free agent. Rumors are that LeBron is most likely to join the Golden State Warriors, which would keep one of the greatest players in the NBA in the Western Conference. However, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin tweeted out this tidbit of information on LeBron’s approach to free agency:“After taking time to decompress and undergo some self-assessment, LeBron James came to the conclusion that he wanted to continue playing “meaningful, competitive basketball,” a source familiar with James’ thinking told ESPN. McMenamin continued, “LeBron James has instructed Rich Paul to talk to everyone around the league who is interested in him playing for them and come back to him with what the options are so he can make his decision, a source familiar with James' thinking told ESPN.”This means that James might be more open to playing in the Eastern Conference than people have speculated, and a reunion with the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Miami Heat are the two front runners to land the 22 time All-Star. I see no world in which the Indiana Pacers could land LeBron, but from a basketball fit, the Pacers might make the most sense if he is serious about winning a championship. Kam Jones Waived by Chicago BullsApr 1, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Kam Jones (7) shoots against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe Chicago Bulls waived recently acquired guard, Kam Jones, on Tuesday before his contract became fully guaranteed. The No. 38 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft is now seeking a new home after spending last season with the Indiana Pacers. You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow