5 free agent wings the Pacers should avoid

Dante Cunningham

Dante Cunningham is a classic NBA journeyman, having played for five teams already in his eight-year career. He’s nominally a power forward, but has mostly played the three in New Orleans over the last three seasons thanks to their glut of big men.

More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds

• 2 Studs, 1 dud from gut-wrenching Indiana Pacers loss to Charlotte Hornets
• Handing out early-season grades for Pacers’ Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin
• 3 positives, 2 negatives in Pacers In-Season Tournament win vs. Cavaliers
• 2 positives, 3 negatives from first week of Indiana Pacers basketball
• Should Isaiah Jackson’s days with Indiana Pacers be numbered?

With Cunningham, he might help the team, and he probably won’t be expensive. I just don’t see the point in signing him. He’s not a veteran that will command a large presence in the locker room and help Myles Turner run the team, at least I don’t think he will be. I’m not in the locker room, so I don’t know for sure.

He’s a warm body that can kind of hit shots, if last season is to be believed as anything but an outlier. He’s a bad rebounder for 6-foot-8, and despite the last few seasons, he should be a power forward. The Pacers have Thad Young and T.J. Leaf for that.

There are much better, more strategic ways to use cap space this summer. Cunningham is too old to be able to grow with Turner. The Pacers would be much better off taking on bad deals and collecting assets rather than signing blah free agents like him.