Pacers owner Herb Simon won’t be in the team’s War Room during tonight’s NBA Draft. As first-year NBA Commissioner Adam Silver reads names pick-by-pick, Simon is having to follow the events from afar.
Simon is out of the country in Thailand, according to four sources, but he’s still expected to be actively involved.
“Herb will be available by phone throughout the draft,” a Pacers spokesman confirmed to VigilantSports.com Thursday.
Simon is typically in the War Room with team executives and the scouting department. Pacers Director of Scouting Ryan Carr said Simon does plenty of reading leading up to the draft. Carr described Simon as an inquisitive mind and said that he “asks lots of great questions.” When the room is discussing a particularly talent, often times they will put video on one of the large screens at the front of the room.
The Pacers have the 57th pick in tonight’s draft. Team president Larry Bird will make the final call on their selection, which then must be signed off by Simon.
Herb, 79, and his late brother, Mel, purchased the team in 1983.
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