UPDATE: After this story was initially published , forward Cole Swider was waived. The story has been adjusted to account for that change.
The Pacers entered preseason with 13 of 15 players who were on their playoff roster still on the team including all five starters.
They also had 14 players on guaranteed full-time contracts and three more on two-way deals so there wasn't a lot that needed to be decided. The two players on non-guaranteed deals -- forwards Kendall Brown and Cole Swider, were both waived this week.
Prior to Swider's waiving, Rick Carlisle said all options are still on the table for the final spot. He indicated earlier in camp that the Pacers could convert one of their three two-way players or even pick up another player who gets released. They could also simply choose to leave the position vacant, which is the outcome we're predicting.
There is also a battle within the roster for rotation spots, especially on the second unit where young wings Bennedict Mathurin, Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard are in a three-way battle for two spots at shooting guard and small forward.
Here's our best guess as to how all of that shakes out when the roster is finalized on Monday and when the season opens on Wednesday in Detroit against the Pistons.
00 -- Bennedict Mathurin
0 -- Tyrese Haliburton
1 -- Obi Toppin
2 -- Andrew Nembhard
4 -- Tristen Newton (two-way contract)
5 -- Jarace Walker
8 -- Enrique Freeman (two-way contract)
9 -- T.J. McConnell
12 -- Johnny Furphy
13 -- James Wiseman
16 -- James Johnson
22 -- Isaiah Jackson
23 -- Aaron Nesmith
26 -- Ben Sheppard
29 -- Quenton Jackson (two-way contract)
33 -- Myles Turner
43 -- Pascal Siakam
Pacers depth chart prediction
Point Guard
Tyrese Haliburton
T.J. McConnell
Andrew Nembhard
Tristen Newton
Shooting Guard
Andrew Nembhard
Bennedict Mathurin
Ben Sheppard
Quenton Jackson
Small Forward
Aaron Nesmith
Jarace Walker
Ben Sheppard
Johnny Furphy
Power Forward
Pascal Siakam
Obi Toppin
Jarace Walker
Johnny Furphy
Enrique Freeman
Center
Myles Turner
Isaiah Jackson
James Wiseman
Obi Toppin
Enrique Freeman
James Johnson
Predicting Pacers’ starting lineup
PG -- Tyrese Haliburton
SG -- Andrew Nembhard
SF -- Aaron Nesmith
PF -- Pascal Siakam
C -- Myles Turner
Pacers schedule 2024-25
October
Wed., Oct. 23, at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 25, at New York (ESPN), 7:30 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 27, vs. Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m.
Mon., Oct. 28, at Orlando, 7 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 30, vs. Boston, 7 p.m., ESPN
November
Fri., Nov. 1, at New Orleans, 8 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 4, at Dallas, 9:45 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 6, vs. Orlando, 7 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 8, at Charlotte, 7 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 10, vs. New York, 5 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 13, at Orlando, 7 p.m.
*-Fri., Nov. 15, vs. Miami, 7 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 17, vs. Miami, 5 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 18, at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 20, at Houston, 8 p.m.
*-Fri., Nov. 22, at Milwaukee, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Sun., Nov. 24, vs. Washington, 5 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 25, vs. New Orleans, 7 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 27, vs. Portland, 7 p.m.
*-Fri., Nov. 29, vs. Detroit, 8 p.m.
December
Sun., Dec. 1, at Memphis, 3:30 p.m.
*-Tue., Dec. 3, at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 4, at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 6, at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 8, vs. Charlotte, 5 p.m.
Dec. 10, 11, 14, 17 : NBA Cup knockout rounds
Dec. 12, 13, 15, 16 : regular-season games
Thur., Dec. 19, at Phoenix, 9 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 22, at Sacramento, 6 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 23, at Golden State, 10 p.m.
Thur., Dec. 26, vs. Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 27, at Boston, 7:30 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 29, at Boston, 6 p.m.
Tue., Dec. 31, vs. Milwaukee, 3 p.m.
January
Thur., Jan. 2, at Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 4, vs. Phoenix, 7 p.m.
Mon., Jan. 6, at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 8, vs. Chicago, 7 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 10, vs. Golden State, 7 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 12, at Cleveland, 6 p.m.
Tue., Jan. 14, vs. Cleveland, 7 p.m., TNT
Thur., Jan. 16, at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 18, vs. Philadelphia, 5 p.m.
Thur., Jan. 23, vs. San Antonio (in Paris), 2 p.m., NBA TV
Sat., Jan. 25, at San Antonio (in Paris), noon, ESPN
Wed., Jan. 29, vs. Detroit, 7 p.m.
February
Sat., Feb. 1, vs. Atlanta, 5 p.m.
Mon., Feb. 3, at Utah, 9 p.m.
Tue., Feb. 4, at Portland, 10 p.m.
Thur., Feb. 6, at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 8, at L.A. Lakers, 4 p.m.
Tue., Feb. 11, New York, 7:30 p.m., TNT
Wed., Feb. 12, at Washington, 7 p.m.
Thur., Feb. 20, vs. Memphis, 7 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 23, vs. L.A. Clippers, 5 p.m.
Mon., Feb. 24, vs. Denver, 7 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 26, vs. Toronto, 7 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 28, at Miami, 8 p.m.
March
Sun., March 2, vs. Chicago, 5 p.m.
Tue., March 4, vs. Houston, 7 p.m.
Thur., March 6, at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
Sat., March 8, at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
Mon., March 10, at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Tue., March 11, vs. Milwaukee 7 p.m., TNT
Fri., March 14, at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Sat., March 15, at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.
Mon., March 17, at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Wed., March 19, vs. Dallas, 7 p.m.
Thur., March 20, vs. Brooklyn, 7 p.m., NBA TV
Sat., March 22, vs. Brooklyn, 5 p.m.
Mon., March 24, vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m.
Wed., March 26, vs. L.A. Lakers, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Thur., March 27, at Washington, 7 p.m.
Sat., March 29, at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.
Mon., March 31, vs. Sacramento, 7 p.m.
April
Wed., April 2, vs. Charlotte, 7 p.m.
Fri., April 4, vs. Utah, 7 p.m.
Sun., April 6, at Denver, 8 p.m.
Tue., April 8, vs. Washington, 7 p.m.
Thur., April 10, vs. Cleveland, 7 p.m., TNT
Fri., April 11, vs. Orlando, 7 p.m.
Sun., April 13, at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Pacers roster predictions: Projected depth chart, lineup
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