Day 1 of free agency already delivered the kind of chaos that can reshape a summer, and Indiana found itself right in the middle of the conversation.
The Pacers are being linked to Kelly Oubre Jr., Gary Trent Jr., and Josh Okogie, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of the Stein Line. Stein and Fischer also reported that Indiana had strong interest in bringing back Thomas Bryant, but he instead made a verbal agreement with the Cavaliers to remain in Cleveland.
That interest in Oubre Jr. has shown up elsewhere, too. Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal said, “The Indiana Pacers have strong interest in Kelly Oubre Jr. in free agency.”
Yahoo! Sports NBA Insider Kelly Iko added that Oubre Jr. is set to meet with several teams, including the Pacers, Trail Blazers, 76ers, and Lakers, among others.
For Indiana, the fit is obvious enough. Chad Buchanan has repeatedly said in offseason interviews that the Pacers want more help on the wing, and Oubre Jr. fits that need cleanly.
The market around Oubre Jr. is also shifting as other dominoes fall. The Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a 4-year, $39M deal with former Cavaliers forward Dean Wade.
Out west, the Lakers are being mentioned as the front-runners to land Philadelphia’s Quentin Grimes and Toronto’s Sandro Mamukelashvili, a development that would cut into the money they could potentially throw at Oubre Jr.
Portland remains in the mix financially, too. Robert Williams III agreed to a new deal with the Trail Blazers, but Portland is still under the luxury tax by $11.8M and can use the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception to chase Oubre Jr., which gives them more room than Indiana currently has.
Then came the bigger league-shaker. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Toronto Raptors reacquired Kawhi Leonard in a deal that sent Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and multiple picks the other way. It’s the same Leonard the league last saw in a Raptors uniform when he delivered their only NBA championship and held up the Larry O’Brien trophy.
And the wildest wrinkle may be LeBron James. He told the Lakers he would not be returning and would become a free agent, with rumors already pointing to the Golden State Warriors as a possible landing spot.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported more about how James is handling the process:
“After taking time to decompress and undergo some self-assessment, LeBron James came to the conclusion that he wanted to continue playing “meaningful, competitive basketball,” a source familiar with James’ thinking told ESPN. McMenamin continued, “LeBron James has instructed Rich Paul to talk to everyone around the league who is interested in him playing for them and come back to him with what the options are so he can make his decision, a source familiar with James' thinking told ESPN.”
That opens the door, at least in theory, to an Eastern Conference return. The Cavaliers and Heat are being mentioned as the leading candidates if he does head that way.
From an Indiana standpoint, there’s no real path to LeBron. But if he is truly focused on chasing another title, the Pacers might look like the cleanest basketball fit.
One more roster note came out Tuesday: the Bulls waived recently acquired guard Kam Jones before his contract became fully guaranteed. The No. 38 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is now looking for a new home after spending last season with the Indiana Pacers.
In Other News...
Pacers Just Sent Tyrese Haliburton Another Clear Win-Now Message
The Pacers kept pressing their win-now push by adding Kelly Oubre Jr. on a two-year deal worth nearly $17 million, a move that gives the roster another experienced wing option with a useful two-way profile. For a team trying to keep Tyrese Haliburton at the center of a serious contender, it is the kind of signing that says Indiana is not waiting around to see how the East shakes out.
Oubre is expected to bring depth and spacing on the wing, the sort of support piece that can matter in the grind of a long season and into the spring. He also fits a larger pattern in Indianapolis, where the front office has continued to spend and use draft capital to bolster the core around Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, signaling that the Pacers are building for more than just a good regular season. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Fans Suddenly Have A Wild LeBron Dream To Consider
LeBron James is suddenly on the market, and that alone is enough to send fans across the league spinning through the possibilities. For Indiana, the conversation is less about pure odds than about fit: the Pacers have a young, ascending core, a recent Finals run to sell and a chance to argue that they are no longer just a promising team, but one with real championship ambitions.
Shams Charanias reporting that James could be open to different kinds of deals only adds to the intrigue, because it broadens the list of teams that can at least make a case. Indiana still looks like a long shot in most rankings, but for a franchise trying to climb from contender to destination, even being mentioned in the same breath as LeBron is the kind of wrinkle that keeps the offseason interesting. [Read more 🡒]