Analyzing the Indiana Pacers Free Agent Options: Nicolas Batum

The Indiana Pacers need to make a splash in free agency this summer if they hope to crawl their way back into contention, and this is the case for why Nicolas Batum should be their target.

The Indiana Pacers — like roughly half of the teams in the NBA — will potentially have enough room under the salary cap this offseason to offer a maximum deal to any free agent on the market.

With half of the league having space, there will obviously be a bidding war for any top level talent, but a Pacers team with Paul George coming off his best postseason and a winning culture shouldn’t be counted out of the derby for the bulk of the free agents out there.

They can’t attract the biggest fish, so we won’t bother seriously discussing the possibility of Kevin Durant and LeBron James joining Indiana. But over the weeks to come we will analyze the positives and negatives of some of the guys on the next tier of free agency.

Mike Conley was my choice as the best available combination of fit, talent, and age. Today, we’re taking a look at option number two, a player named …

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Nicolas Batum 

27 Years Old
Unrestricted Free Agent
Charlotte Hornets
Last Year: 14.9 ppg, 5.8 apg, 6.1 rpg, .9 spg, 15.6 PER
Career: 11.7 ppg, 3.4 apt, 5.2 rpg, .9 spg, 15.2 PER

Positives

Nic Batum is a relatively young, highly skilled, multi-positional wing. He is the best version of the coveted “3 and D” player. He’s a career 36% shooter from deep, which isn’t in the Kyle Korver stratosphere, but is right in line with what Paul George (36.4%) and C.J. Miles (35.2%) bring to the table.

He is also a very good defender, capable of credibly guarding both guards and small forwards, as well as being able to match up against small ball power forwards in a pinch.

Batum’s 5.8 assists per game would’ve easily led the Pacers (Monta Ellis was the Pacers leader at 4.7), which would be a boon to a Pacers offense that struggled at times with ball movement.

He also would’ve been the Pacers 4th leading rebounder, a mere 1 rebound per game behind Pacers leader Ian Mahinmi, who averaged 7.1. The trio of George Hill (4.0), Nic Batum (6.1), and Paul George (7.0) would instantly form one of the top rebounding wing combos in the NBA, and would present an absolutely nightmare for opposing teams to score against.

Negatives

Batum is a jack of all trades, master of none kind of player who flourished last year while setting career highs in his usage rate and shot attempts/makes per game. His averages weren’t excessively higher than those in Portland, but there is still question as to whether he can be a legitimate second scoring option over the course of a full year.

His overall skill set is similar to that of George Hill, who’s struggled consistently to find his place next to Paul George in the Pacers system. He’s not a max contract guy in a normal offseason, but may receive his max of $25+ million this summer due to the steep rise of the salary cap and the flood of money almost every team has.

If the Pacers signed Batum to a max deal, they would be paying an inferior version of Paul George several million dollars more than PG actually makes. This isn’t the biggest concern in fiscal terms — but it does seem strange given their respective talent levels.

Fit

Nicolas Batum, the player, is a wonderful fit for the Indiana Pacers. The combination of him and Paul George on the wings is an excellent fit both offensively — where their shooting, spacing, and willing passing could be potent — and defensively, where they can both guard the top wings in the NBA. Nicolas Batum, the contract, is more questionable.

Verdict

Work it out. Nic Batum makes this team more dangerous in a lot of ways. If a max contract brings him to Indiana, talk to Paul George. Make sure it’s not going to create animosity, then consider it.

If the Pacers can get him for $20 million per year? They should absolutely jump on that, and use the remaining money to find a power forward.

Either way, the Pacers should work hard to get Batum in the door and into a blue and gold uniform.