Jalen Duren’s decision to pass on his qualifying offer and take the $200 million the Detroit Pistons put on the table put one of the offseason’s strangest sagas to rest. After dragging on for months, the restricted free agent market finally got its answer, and Duren ended up choosing the nine-digit payday.
That ending matters because it reinforces just how expensive center help has become. Duren, despite what the source described as a massive disappointment in the playoffs this past year, may still be worth something close to $50 million a year simply because there are so few big men available. The market has a way of setting the price, whether everyone likes it or not.
That same market reality makes Indiana’s move for Ivica Zubac look even sharper. The Pacers landed the Croatian center in a deal that sent Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks, a second-rounder, and Bennedict Mathurin to the other side, turning a weakness into a strength. What had been a glaring issue became a position of real value.
Indiana took a swing while working through a tanking season, trying to cash in on house money by dealing away its pick and bringing in a veteran difference-maker. The gamble did not break perfectly when the Pacers lost the fifth overall pick to the Los Angeles Clippers on lottery night, but the deal still looks favorable in the big picture.
Part of that edge comes from the cost. Zubac is being paid just about 20 million a year, which is roughly half of what Duren is set to make. That gap matters even more because Zubac is described here as the better player and a proven playoff riser.
There’s also the basic difference between trading for a player and signing one outright. A trade costs assets on top of money; a free-agent signing does not. Even with the extra price Indiana paid in draft capital and players, the Pacers still came away with the better contract and the more reliable center.
The rest of the market has only helped that case. The Boston Celtics signing Mitchell Robinson is another sign that big men are in short supply. There just are not enough centers to go around.
And that is why the Pacers’ move for Zubac reads like a win. They filled a need with an excellent player, avoided paying the premium that now comes with the position, and landed someone who looks undervalued in a market that no longer leaves much room for bargains.
In Other News...
Pacers Fan Jam Put Early Pressure On One Camp Battle
The Pacers annual Fan Jam gave supporters their first real look at a roster still taking shape, and the sold-out crowd got more than a run-of-the-mill workout. The centerpiece was a 12-minute intrasquad scrimmage that split training camp into White and Blue, turning an early October showcase into a meaningful first snapshot of how the competition is developing.
Along with the on-court action, the night also leaned into the lighter side of camp, with rookies Braden Smith, Rienk Mast and Keba Keita taking part in a sing-and-dance-off that kept the building buzzing. But for all the fun, the scrimmage still mattered most, because every possession offered fans a glimpse of which players are starting to separate themselves before the real battles of camp settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Face One Crucial Fit Question In Their Next Roster Move
The Pacers have some flexibility if they decide to make a roster move, with first-round picks and a few player contracts giving them ways to strike a deal. But the harder part is not finding someone available, it is finding someone who can slide into a selfless system without disrupting what Indiana already does well. That has become part of the teams identity, and it shapes every discussion about who might be worth targeting.
Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andrew Nembhard are useful examples of the type of player Indiana values, the kind who can adjust their usage and still fit cleanly into the style of play. That makes the market tricky, because the Pacers are not simply shopping for talent, they are shopping for compatibility. The next move may depend less on star power than on whether a player can accept a different role and still help the group function the way it wants to. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburton Just Gave Pacers Fans The Sign They Needed
Tyrese Haliburton was right there with the Pacers starters at FanJam, and for a team still carrying the memory of his torn Achilles from June, that alone counted as a meaningful checkpoint. The annual scrimmage gave Indiana fans their first real look at how the group is beginning to come together again, with the new additions around him and the expected starting lineup starting to take shape as preseason and the regular season inch closer in October.
Haliburton said he feels confident in his health and in where he stands heading into the season, which is exactly the kind of update Pacers supporters wanted to hear after months of uncertainty. There is still a long runway before the games matter for real, but his presence with the starters suggested the comeback process is moving in the right direction, and that is a significant sign for a team trying to build around him again. [Read more 🡒]