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NBA Rumors for Friday, April 11

InsideHoops NBA rumors updated 3:00 a.m. ET. More NBA rumors stories and other news also appears on the InsideHoops basketball blog.

With the top seed on the line plus some potentially valuable momentum entering the playoffs, the Indiana Pacers plan to return to their full lineup when they play the Miami Heat on Friday night, coach Frank Vogel said. Vogel surprisingly and controversially held out all five of his starters Wednesday night in Milwaukee, citing the need to rest his front line after a series of disappointing losses, including a stunning blowout home defeat Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks. ESPN.com

His team made the choice look good, squeezing out a 104-102 victory over the last-place Bucks after backup Chris Copeland made a runner with 1.2 seconds left. Combined with the Heat's loss in Memphis, the Pacers vaulted back into the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings by a half-game. ESPN.com

"The last month was rough. We're professionals, but it wears on us sometimes," Hibbert said. "This was like a weight off your shoulders because you didn't have to go into a game and mentally prepare for coverages. It was good to relax a bit." Most of the practice was closed to the media, but several Pacers players said it was the highest-energy workout they'd had in weeks. ESPN.com

"I don't know if it was the day off or just being in Miami," small forward Paul George said. "It's the most time off we've had in a while, and our bodies are benefiting from it right now. We were flying up and down this floor. Hopefully that's a foreshadowing for the game." ESPN.com

The Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board reportedly has struck a deal to pay about $160 million to the Indiana Pacers to keep the NBA franchise in the city. The Indianapolis Star and the Indianapolis Business Journal reported Thursday that the deal due to be announced Monday will keep the Pacers in the city through the 2023-24 season. AP

The NBA issued a two-game suspension to Dallas Mavericks public-address announcer Sean Heath due to tweets criticizing officiating, multiple sources briefed on the situation told ESPNDallas.com. The suspension will begin Saturday night, when the Mavs face the Phoenix Suns in the final home game of the regular season. Heath will complete the suspension either in the first home game of the playoffs or next season's home opener, depending on whether the Mavs advance. ESPN Dallas

The Sacramento Kings today signed guard Jared Cunningham for the remainder of the season, according to Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro. Signed to a 10-day contract on March 31, Cunningham is averaging 3.0 points (.235 FG%, 10-10 FT), 0.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 6.3 minutes per game in six games off the bench for the Kings. Earlier this season, Cunningham played for the Atlanta Hawks, totaling two points (1-2 FG, 0-1 3pt, 0-2 FT), one rebound, three assists and 22 minutes in five games off the bench before being waived on February 22. InsideHoops

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has signed guard Mike James and forward Lou Amundson (Ah-mund-son) for the remainder of the season. In accordance with team policy, terms of the contracts were not announced. James (6-2, 188), an 11-year NBA veteran, appeared in 11 games with Chicago earlier this year and averaged 1.0 ppg, 1.5 apg and 0.6 rpg in 7.0 mpg. For his career, James has appeared 595 regular season games (286 starts) and averaged 9.9 ppg, 3.5 apg and 2.2 rpg in 24.1 mpg, while shooting .417 from the field, .379 from deep and .802 from the free throw line. InsideHoops

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed center Dexter Pittman to a multi-year contract. The 47th “Call-Up” this season, Pittman joins the Rockets from the D-League’s Austin Toros. InsideHoops

To open a roster spot, the Rockets have waived center/forward Greg Smith. Pittman (6-11, 285, Texas), who is currently in his fourth season in the NBA, was originally selected by Miami in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft. He has appeared in 50 regular season games (six starts) with Miami, Memphis and Atlanta, averaging 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in 6.9 minutes per outing. InsideHoops

The Washington Wizards have partnered with Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic to help grant the wish of 10-year-old Wizards fan Amaris Jackson. Amaris, who is battling renal cell carcinoma and will undergo surgery in the near future to remove a tumor in her lungs, will be signed by the team for this weekend’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, April 12. Amaris, who is point guard on her school’s basketball team, is from Washington, DC. InsideHoops

Clothes make the man ... especially during a murder trial ... so says ex-NBA player Javaris Crittenton who's begging a judge not to force him to wear his JAIL UNIFORM in court so he won't look guilty. The former Los Angeles Lakers player is facing murder charges in the 2010 drive-by shooting death of a Georgia woman ... and he just filed court docs because he believes his wardrobe will play a KEY ROLE in the hearing. TMZ

Larry Bird's 22-year-old son has plead guilty to criminal recklessness -- stemming from a 2013 incident in which he allegedly tried to run over his GF with his car ... TMZ Sports has learned. As we previously reported, Connor Bird was busted on the campus of Indiana University last February after cops say he threw a cell phone at his GF and then tried to run her down in a campus parking lot. TMZ

Long before Drake cozied up to Kentucky, there was another major hip hop star who aligned herself with a popular Final 4 team ... QUEEN LATIFAH ... so says former UCLA superstar Tyus Edney. Tyus was out in Santa Monica last night and told us Queen was such a big fan of the Bruins back in the day, she sent the players a BOTTLE OF EXPENSIVE CHAMPAGNE when they won the championship in '95. TMZ

NBA superstar Joe Johnson has been threatened by a judge -- stop screwing your baby mama out of bonding time with your son or I'm throwing your ass in the slammer!!! TMZ Sports has obtained court docs, filed in Georgia, which show Johnson just got HAMMERED by a judge after his baby mama claimed he's been breaking the terms of their custody arrangement for their 6-year-old son. The woman, Shannon Becton, claims Joe is supposed to give her progress reports about how the kid is doing in school and in his extracurricular activities when he's in his custody. TMZ

The woman who claims she engineered the intense P.R. offensive to save Royce White's NBA career says the former 1st round draft pick is totally screwing her over -- refusing to pay more than $70k in bills ... TMZ Sports has learned. China Myers is suing White -- claiming she was hired back in 2012 when he was drafted by the Houston Rockets with a mission to strengthen his image and reputation. Of course, White famously battled with the Rockets -- claiming they didn't make the necessary accommodations for his mental health issues ... which included an anxiety disorder that made him afraid to fly. TMZ

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