T.J. Ford played 24 minutes to Darren Collison's 23 minutes on Saturday, scoring four points on 2-of-6 shooting with four rebounds, five assists, one steal, and three blocks.

There have been three games this year when Collison's minutes have been reduced so Ford could stay on the court, but there's no real chance for Ford to win the job unless Collison totally implodes, which isn't likely. He would need to be traded to have serious fantasy value.

Backup PG T.J. Ford missed Monday's practice due to the same gimpy hamstring that bothered him throughout the preseason, but he still plans to play Wednesday against the Sixers.

He got 22 minutes of action on Saturday and played down the stretch when Darren Collison struggled to contain D.J. Augustin, but there's no controversy about who the starter is at this point. Even in the event that Ford were to play himself into a time-share, he's too injury prone for our liking.

T.J. Ford's hamstring injury kept him out of Monday's practice.

He's iffy for the opener, but will be Darren Collison's backup once he's healthy.

T.J. Ford, who tweaked his hamstring in Friday's preseason game, should return for next Friday's preseason game against the Bulls.

Ford is somebody to avoid in drafts. With A.J. Price and Lance Stephenson representing the future of the organization, his role with the team will constantly be in doubt.

T.J. Ford tweaked his troublesome hamstring during Friday's exhibition.

No word yet on how much of a setback this will be, but it's one more reason to avoid Ford in fantasy drafts. He should backup Darren Collison but that could change if A.J. Price or Lance Stephenson steps up.

T.J. Ford returned to action for the Pacers on Friday, but then left after appearing to aggravate his hamstring injury and will not return.

This could be one of those injuries that lingers, although Ford's spot on the depth chart might be a bigger concern. Mike Dunleavy also suffered a nose injury, but it's not believed to be serious.

T.J. Ford (hamstring) is expected to miss at least a week.

Fantasy owners have come to know Ford as a starting NBA point guard over the years, but it needs to be remembered that his value will be severely limited by the fact that he's coming off the bench behind Darren Collison this year.

T.J. Ford and coach Jim O'Brien, who have rarely seen eye to eye over the past few seasons, met recently to try to get ready for the new season.

"It was a conversation that we needed to have because we had prolonged it for so long," Ford said. "It's not like we didn't like each other; we were both being stubborn." O'Brien is ready to use Ford again. "I believe strongly that he's going to have a successful year. T.J. would figure very heavily into what we're doing and have a big impact on the game if we were going to play today." Don't get too excited, as he'll come off the bench behind Darren Collison.

T.J. Ford has reportedly been told that he'll have a chance to earn a spot in the rotation.

Ford may get a chance, but he's always in and out of coach Jim O'Brien's doghouse. Darren Collison will start with A.J. Price, Lance Stephenson and Ford all battling for backup minutes. Look for all three guys to get a chance at different points in the season.

T.J. Ford declined a $5 million buyout offer Wednesday on the $8.5 million player option he exercised for the 2010-11 season, which is the last of his contract.

Understandably, Ford doesn't want to leave money on the table but he's going to have to eat some of it if he wants his freedom. Until then, team president Larry Bird has said he "(expects) him to come in here and be professional and try to get a job and get some playing time." Let the posturing begin.

The Pacers are reportedly hoping to buyout the contract of T.J. Ford now that they have acquired point guard Darren Collison.

Indiana hopes to pay Ford about $5 million to make him go away, and it says a lot that they don't even want him as a veteran backup. The possibility of a trade is still being explored, but Indiana has exhausted that route before without any progress.

The Pacers still haven't landed a point guard over the summer and are still looking ot trade for one.

The best options out there appear to be Toronto's Jose Calderon or Jarrett Jack, and Jose Juan Barea from Dallas. However, a trade appears to be more of a long shot that a real possibility for the Pacers, meaning T.J. Ford very well may start the year at PG for the Pacers. He's done so the past two seasons, only to fall out of favor with coach Jim O'Brien and lose his job. Regardless of what happens, it's going to be another long season for the Pacers and their fans.

As of now, T.J. Ford looks like the starting point guard for the Pacers, in front of rookie Lance Stephenson and A.J. Price.

Ford has never gotten along with coach Jim O'Brien and it would be shocking to see him starting for too long. Additionally, the Pacers are still trying to sign a veteran point guard, while Stephenson should also get an opportunity at point guard. Ford might be worth owning, especially in deep leagues, but expectations have to be lowered as long as he's playing for O'Brien.

The Pacers have 15 players under contract and will likely need to pursue a trade in order to acquire the starting PG they covet.

T.J. Ford could be traded this summer (perhaps to the Bobcats) as coach Jim O'Brien clearly wants a different style point guard. There are precious few intriguing free agent PGs and Indiana may regret letting Jordan Farmar sign with the Nets for $4 million per year.

The Pacers continue to explore trades involving T.J.Ford as they look to upgrade their PG position this summer.

Indiana wants "a veteran point guard who has no problem giving up the ball and can shoot well from the perimeter." Ford does neither of those things and long ago exhausted the patience of coach Jim O'Brien.

Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. Ford will pick up the player option on the final year of his contract and return to the team next season.

Ford is owed $8.5 million next year, which sounds like about the right price for having to deal with having Jim O'Brien as his coach again.

T.J. Ford said he will not opt out of the final year of his contract.

Ford has a player option for $8.5 million, so he would have to be certifiably insane to opt out. Earl Watson is set to become a free agent, meaning Ford could be competing with A.J. Price for point guard minutes next season.

T.J. Ford was listed out on Saturday with a sore left groin.

Whether Ford is bothered by his back or his groin (or both), the point is that he's not healthy. His return this season is up in the air.

Coach Jim O'Brien said that T.J. Ford (back) "is not responding to treatment" after he missed Wednesday's game against the Knicks.

Ford surely shouldn't be on rosters or radars at this point, as all signs point to a shutdown. If he does return, the biggest impact will be to Earl Watson's already tenuous grip on fantasy value.