The Indiana Pacers are trying to get back into the championship mix next season, but the road in the Eastern Conference is only getting steeper. And if LeBron James ends up in the East, that climb gets a lot nastier for Indiana - especially if he lands with Jaylen Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philadelphia already looks loaded after swinging a deal with the Boston Celtics that sent Paul George, two firsts, and two seconds to Boston in exchange for Brown. The Sixers would then be lining up with Brown, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid, a group that already projects as one of the strongest in the conference and maybe one of the best in the league.
Add James to that mix, and the ceiling changes again. That kind of talent would only make the East more crowded at the top and make Indiana’s path back to the NBA Finals that much tougher.
The Pacers still have a shot. Last season showed that much, as long as Tyrese Haliburton is on the floor and healthy. Of course, that health still has to be proven again next season.
If Haliburton is right, Indiana should still be in decent shape. The roster remains solid and looks almost unchanged from the group that made its Finals run in 2025.
Ivica Zubac is now in place of Myles Turner, but the rest of the core depth is familiar: Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, TJ McConnell, Obi Toppin, and, maybe most important of all, Pascal Siakam, who was excellent for the Pacers in the playoffs.
Even so, the East has clearly improved since a year ago, and next season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive the conference has seen in a while.
That’s why James matters here. If he joins Brown in Philadelphia - or lands anywhere else in the Eastern Conference - it raises the difficulty level for Haliburton and the Pacers as they try to make another Finals push.
The Pacers still have a chance. It just gets a lot harder if James decides to join the party.
In Other News...
Pacers May Have Found A Summer League Big They Can't Ignore
Indianas summer league group has already given the front office a little bit of everything, from an overtime loss to the Sixers to a win over the Cavaliers, but one of the quieter developments has been the play of Rienk Mast. The 6-foot-10 forward has brought a steady inside presence while working on an Exhibit-10 deal, and his recent showing gave the Pacers another look at a player who has spent time in Europe and in college at Bradley and Nebraska.
Masts path has been anything but ordinary, and that matters for a team always searching for useful depth at the margins of the roster. He has already shown enough in this setting to put himself in the conversation for a two-way contract or a G-League spot, and with Indiana still sorting through its summer league options, his mix of size and experience is hard to overlook. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Just Made Another Tough Depth Call After Nance Move
Micah Potters run with the Pacers ended the same way a lot of roster-fight stories do in late summer, with a team trying to balance usefulness against flexibility. The five-year NBA veteran had his best statistical season in Indiana, averaging 9.7 points and five rebounds in 47 appearances, and his offense gave the Pacers a workable depth option at center.
Still, Indiana chose to move on after adding Larry Nance Jr., a move that brought more positional versatility and helped the front office trim salary near the first apron. Potter was always more of a fringe rotation piece than a nightly answer because of the defensive questions, so the Pacers opted for the cleaner roster fit even if it meant giving up a player who had carved out a real role. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Just Got An Uncomfortable Early Look At A Real Problem
Las Vegas Summer League is supposed to be about first impressions, and the Pacers got one they probably would have preferred to avoid. In a 100-93 loss, the player taken No. 22 in the draft carved them up for a game-high 24 points, adding 6 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal while controlling the game in a way Indiana could not quite answer.
For a roster trying to sort out who can hold up on the perimeter and who can keep an offense from getting comfortable, that kind of showing lands with some extra weight. It was only one game in July, but it was also the sort of early look that can expose a real issue before the Pacers have much time to smooth it over. [Read more 🡒]