The Indiana Pacers have spent much of the early offseason keeping things quiet, and that has not gone unnoticed.
So far, their only real move has been a deal with free agent wing Kelly Oubre Jr., who agreed to a two-year, $17 million contract. The addition gives Indiana another body on the bench, but it also leaves the bigger question hanging in the air: how much better is this team, really, than the group that reached the NBA Finals two years ago?
Indiana’s biggest move came at last year’s trade deadline, when Kevin Pritchard and the front office swung a deal to bring in star center Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers. Even that move comes with some uncertainty, though, because there are still questions about how well he fits the Pacers’ style.
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes took a measured shot at Indiana’s summer approach, suggesting Oubre may not have been the ideal use of the team’s limited flexibility.
"The 11-year vet may not shoot 36.0 percent from deep like he did last year, setting a new career high, but he's an athletic combo forward who can stick in the rotation if Jarace Walker still isn't ready (or gets traded). His frenetic style makes sense in Indy's uptempo, movement-heavy offensive environment, but Oubre has never been the kind of quick decision-maker Indiana seems to prefer," Hughes wrote.
He added, "Oubre didn't even get the full MLE, so it's hard to be too critical of Indiana's asset management. It still might have been better for the Pacers to use their limited resources on a scoring guard or wing who could share the backcourt with Tyrese Haliburton or Andrew Nembhard-or even one who could join TJ McConnell as a shot creator on the second unit."
There is still reason to think Indiana can be in the mix in the Eastern Conference. If Tyrese Haliburton returns to form after the Achilles tear, the Pacers should be a strong team.
They also bring back most of the core from two years ago, with Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, T.J. McConnell, and Obi Toppin all still in place. Zubac is now in the middle, taking over for Myles Turner.
Unless something much bigger comes along to reshape the roster, it looks like Indiana’s major offseason business may already be done.
In Other News...
Pacers Fans Suddenly Have One More Win Now Debate
The Pacers have already added one more piece to the offseason puzzle with an agreement on a two-year deal for Kelly Oubre Jr., even if the move has not been officially announced yet. It is the kind of addition that keeps Indiana in the middle of the East conversation, and it also helps explain why the fan base is suddenly looking at the rest of the market with a little more curiosity.
DeMar DeRozans name has surfaced as a possible next swing after his contract buyout with Sacramento, where he just finished a season averaging 18.4 points per game. The fit is easy to see for a team trying to stay balanced and competitive, but for now the buzz is more about the idea than the likelihood, which is why this one has become more of a debate than a prediction. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Officially Sign Kelly Oubre Jr. To Bolster Wing Depth
The Pacers officially added Kelly Oubre Jr. on July 8, giving the roster another proven wing after a summer that thinned that part of the rotation. Indiana did not disclose the contract terms, per team policy, but reporting has pegged the deal at two years and about $16.5 million, fully guaranteed, which signals a meaningful commitment to a player who should help absorb some of the minutes on the perimeter.
Oubre arrives with a clear lane to matter right away, especially with the team looking for wing depth after the Bennedict Mathurin trade, the decision not to re-sign Kobe Brown and Johnny Furphys ACL injury. Last season, he gave Philadelphia steady production and enough two-way activity to fit a bench role, and the Pacers are expected to use him as a sixth-man type behind their starting wings. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Roster Squeeze Just Forced A Move Fans Saw Coming
The Pacers have been working through the kind of late-summer roster math that usually ends with a familiar kind of transaction, and this one arrived with a veteran name attached. Indiana has moved to create more flexibility under its salary-cap and luxury-tax constraints, a reminder that even after the headline moves are done, the back end of the roster can still be shaped by the numbers.
With the club carrying 14 players under contract, the Pacers now have a little more room to maneuver if they decide to add another piece before camp or during the early part of the season. There is also a possible path to look at for Taelon Peter, whose non-guaranteed deal gives Indiana another option as it balances depth, cost control and the realities of staying clear of the leagues stricter apron rules. [Read more 🡒]