If Indiana is going to keep leaning into its identity, Michael Porter Jr. looks like the cleanest possible fit. The Pacers already have Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam setting the tone, and the kind of third option that makes this whole thing hum has to check a few boxes: elite shooting, at least some self-creation, and enough flexibility to function both on the ball and off it as the offense shifts between creators.
That matters even more because Indiana does not have a long list of players who can initiate offense. Outside of Haliburton and Siakam, the Pacers are basically asking Andrew Nembhard or TJ McConnell to fill that role if needed. Porter would give them another layer there, while also fitting the broader shape of the roster as a wing who could slide in next to Aaron Nesmith or Nembhard without much fuss.
And if the Pacers are going to keep living on the edge of a track meet, outscoring teams instead of trying to solve every defensive problem, Porter is the obvious target. He fits the fast-paced system, he stretches the floor, and he gives Indiana the sort of scoring punch that would maximize the gravity of Haliburton and Siakam in transition and the open looks the offense already creates.
The problem is not basketball. It is the calendar.
Indiana’s cap picture is about to get crowded, and fast. This summer, the Pacers have just three free agents to sort through: Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard, and Johnny Furphy. Walker and Sheppard, the two 2023 first-round picks, have been massive disappointments, while Furphy could still be a sneaky rotation piece because of how well he fits with Siakam.
Porter’s expiring contract makes the trade easy enough to imagine, especially since Indiana would also get his bird rights. But that only pushes the real issue down the road. The 2028 offseason is the one that should make the front office nervous, because six of the team’s top eight players are set to reach free agency then: Siakam, Zubac, Nembhard, McConnell, Obi Toppin, and Kelly Oubre Jr.
That kind of pileup means the Pacers are already headed toward a summer full of extension talks and contract decisions. Adding another major deal to the list this year would only make the job harder, and the next offseason after that is already busy enough without another expensive negotiation sitting on the table.
Porter will want a raise once his max rookie scale extension ends. On paper, he brings more creation than other names like Trey Murphy III and has already been part of winning at the highest level, helping Denver win a title as a key starter.
But Indiana has to protect the structure it has built. If landing Porter threatens that, the fit on the court is not enough to justify the cost off it.
In Other News...
Pacers May Have To Make Painful Moves To Keep A Bigger Dream Alive
The Pacers have been navigating a familiar small-market problem for years: even when the roster is competitive, free agency does not usually hand them a simple path to a major upgrade. With limited cap space and a market that has to work harder than most to lure outside talent, Indianas options often come down to uncomfortable choices, including whether to keep its own free agents or let some walk in order to preserve flexibility.
That kind of planning can stretch several offseasons into the future, especially if the front office wants to position itself for the 2028 free agent class. But getting there could mean resisting the urge to spend now, and even considering trades that move future free agents or draft assets out of the way. For a team trying to keep a bigger dream alive, the cost of creating that room may end up being just as significant as the move it makes with it. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Need More Than Hype From Ivica Zubac This Season
Ivica Zubacs arrival last season gave Indiana another big body to build around, and this fall the Pacers are counting on that addition to look less like a simple roster move and more like a real fit. With Tyrese Haliburton back from injury, the opening-night setup will offer an early glimpse at how Zubac can complement Indianas pace and playmaking, especially in a frontcourt role that should help stabilize the group around him.
The expectations are not small. RotoWire projects Zubac for 14.5 points, 11 rebounds, 2.2 assists and a block per game, numbers that would give the Pacers a dependable interior presence on both ends. For a team trying to take a step forward, the bigger question is whether Zubac can turn that projection into consistent production once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Keep Winning The One Way Small-Market Teams Usually Dont
Since the 2019 offseason, the Pacers have kept leaning into the part of roster building that usually gives small-market teams their best chance to stay relevant: trades. They have made 31 of them in that span, and the volume alone says plenty about how Indiana has tried to navigate a league where free agency is rarely a friendly path and the draft does not always deliver a quick fix. The result has been a front office willing to keep moving pieces, reset the deck and keep chasing the right mix.
What stands out is not just how often the Pacers have dealt, but how often they have been willing to make the kind of player-for-player swaps that can reshape a franchise. Paul George, Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, Tyrese Haliburton, Aaron Nesmith and Ivica Zubac all fit into that larger pattern, with Indiana often finding value where others were ready to pivot. Even the rougher misses have been manageable enough to keep the strategy intact, which is why the bigger question now is less about whether the Pacers will keep trading and more about what they are willing to move next. [Read more 🡒]