The Pacers should take a good look at these players coming off their rookie deals
By William Furr
The Indiana Pacers are building for the future and should consider looking at some of these rookies looking for their second contracts in the NBA.
The Indiana Pacers should be looking for ‘2nd contract’ players. Those are players who are underperforming on their rookie scale deals with their original teams, but who have shown flashes and might be able to blossom in a new situation during their 2nd contracts in the league.
This is not to say the Pacers should bet the farm on any one of these guys; first round picks and young building blocks should be out of the equation. Short term vets, cap relief, and 2nd round picks (which are complicated due to the Thad Young trade, but not impossible) could all be in play, however.
We’ll take a quick look at 6 such guys who might be available for a reasonable price.
Stanley Johnson — Detroit Pistons
Contract: 3.1 million in 17-18, 1.9 million in 18-19
Career: 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 36.3% shooting, 29.5% 3 point shooting
The 8th draft pick in 2015, Stanley Johnson was considered already an excellent defender with an NBA ready body. People raved about his athleticism combined with a stout frame, and it was easy to envision him guarding some of the premier small forwards in the league.
Johnson is indeed powerful, but his athleticism seems more NBA run of the mill. He’s averaging a career-high 27 minutes this season for Detroit but is putting up truly atrocious numbers on the offensive end of the floor (35% shooting, 28% from 3, 42% eFG%).
Detroit appears to be in ‘win-now’ mode after trading for Blake Griffin, and Johnson is quickly losing ground in the rotation to Reggie Bullock. There would be a likely path to minutes in Indiana for Stanley Johnson, and Indiana could offer some salary relief for the cash-strapped Pistons.
Justise Winslow — Miami Heat
Contract: 2.7 million in 17-18, 3.5 million in 18-19
Career: 7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2 assists, 40.5% shooting, 30.4% 3 point shooting (43.4% this season, only 53 attempts)
Winslow has quickly gone from the guy Danny Ainge reportedly offered 6 picks to draft (4 first rounders, 2 seconds) to a fringe member of the Heat’s rotation.
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He’s averaging a career-low number of minutes in his 3rd season and continues to be a borderline abysmal offensive player.
He’s putting up a nice 43% from deep this year, but on a very small number of attempts (53 total).
Winslow is a high-level athlete and good defender, but teams give him the Tony Allen treatment, often times completely abandoning him off the ball.
Miami just paid Josh Richardson and James Johnson, guys who will eat up minutes at Winslow’s likely positions (small and power forward).
Like with Stanley Johnson, there’s an easy path to minutes in Indiana. Like Detroit, Miami faces a salary cap crunch in the immediate future.