A deduction of two has added up nicely for Norm Richardson. But he's not putting faith in the bottom line yet.

With the release of guard Galen Young and center Will Cunningham on Monday, the Indiana Pacers roster stands at 15. That's the maximum that can be carried during the regular season, which could bode well for Richardson, a rookie guard out of Hofstra. But not necessarily. The Pacers still have the option of picking up a player from another team's roster, something coach Isiah Thomas says remains a possibility.

That's why Richardson felt only slight relief Monday. "I haven't heard anything on making the team yet," said the 6-5 Richardson, who was undrafted in June. "I'm not going to get my hopes up. I'm going to keep working hard."