It didn’t take long for the Pacers to start filling out Rick Carlisle’s coaching staff. After introducing the new bench boss on Wednesday and being linked in rumors to former Golden State Warriors assistant Jarron Collins and former New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale, who reportedly turned down a more lucrative offer from the Pacers to rejoin LeBron James in Los Angeles, Indiana is reportedly finalizing a deal to hire former Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Per Woj, Pierce will be Carlisle’s top assistant. By comparison to last season, when Nate Bjorkgren’s staff was comprised only of former or first-time assistants, Pierce’s addition provides the Pacers with another familiar face from the head-coaching ranks, who is known for his leadership as well as making an impact both on and off the court, particularly with regard to racial injustice, police brutality, and voting rights.