The idea of LeBron James ending up in Indiana sounds like a long shot, but the Pacers have at least worked their way into the conversation.
James left the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason and is expected to move slowly as he decides what comes next. Money doesn’t appear to be the driving force. He’s looking for the best path to another championship, and ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania laid out the kind of deal that could make sense.
“If you want to slot him in, you can pitch him on a minimum deal, an exception deal, or a non-max deal," Charania said.
That opens the door just a bit for a Pacers team that has a familiar core coming back, with Tyrese Haliburton set to return. Indiana also still has the same group that pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder to Game 7 of the NBA Finals two years ago. In theory, adding James would give them another high-end creator and a real chance to push even higher.
Still, the Pacers are not being treated like a serious favorite for James. Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports placed them at No. 11 on his list of possible landing spots.
"After experiencing heartbreak with Tyrese Haliburton tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, followed by a disastrous season, the Pacers do look like they'll be back in contention this season," O'Connor wrote. "But they could still use some more creation and that's where LeBron could come in to help out Haliburton."
Even that kind of ranking is enough to raise eyebrows. The fit is easy to understand, though. James is still producing at a championship level, even if he’s not the same force he once was.
In 60 games with the Lakers last season, he averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from three.
So no, Indiana is not the most likely destination. But the Pacers have at least done enough to let their fans imagine it, and if James ever did land there, it would change their title outlook in a major way.
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