What Should the Indiana Pacers do with their fringe players?
By Tony East
Georges Niang: How long should we wait?
Georges Niang was selected with the 50th pick of the 2016 NBA draft. He caught Larry Bird’s eye during summer league with his ability to stretch the floor and was able to earn the Pacers final roster spot with a 3 year minimum deal with only the first year guaranteed. Now that the first year is up, what will the Pacers do with Niang?
Most of Niang’s minutes came in garbage time this season. It is hard to analyze a guy who only played 93 total minutes this season. He is guaranteed $100,000 next season if he is not waived by July 1. That figure is quite insignificant, so look for the Pacers to keep him past that date unless they feel they really need the extra $100,000 to spend on free agents or need another roster spot.
The decision to keep Niang for the season depends largely on how the rest of the offseason goes. If the Pacers begin a rebuild, there is a decent chance that Niang sticks around for another season on the minimum. He is on a cheap contract, and the Pacers could cut him at any time before the full season guarantee date (early January 2018) and have him off the books for the rest of the season with no penalty.
Niang has little time left with the Pacers, and it is likely a matter of months, not years.