Welcome to the Summer of the Mystery Box for the Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers can stand pat or make some noise in free agency and trades this offseason. Welcome to the Summer of the Mystery Box.

Welcome to the first (and maybe not last) summer of the Mystery Box for the Indiana Pacers.

Mystery Box is how I like to refer to the unknown players or changes a team can make that some fans long for. Unless your team just won a title, it’s hard not to want to see at least a few changes, if not a complete remodel.

But the catch of the Mystery Box is you don’t know what’s in it, or in this situation, you don’t know if the changes the team makes will pay off — just ask Larry Bird.

It’s one reason fans love draft picks so much. It is more than just the fun of getting a new player, it’s having the potential for greatness. Indiana could trade for a solid player like Ersan Ilyasova, but because we know his strength and weaknesses, it isn’t as exciting as a draft pick that could be the next big thing like Donovan Mitchell, or of course, a guy who washes out of the league.

People love the idea of change. It’s exciting, it opens the doors of possibility. It can change the future of a franchise overnight — look how things worked out for the Indiana Pacers when they got Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.

Especially for younger fans, last season was one of their favorites thanks in a large part to those two players. Indiana went from a 30-win team to one that — if they had gotten by the Cleveland Cavaliers — could be on the verge of going to the NBA Finals. The change made that possible.

But as much as those two (and others) made last season possible, the possibility of something different is enticing. The flow of player movement is part of the reason people love the NBA. Any team can change their fate with a trade or draft pick.

This is why this summer will be the Summer of the Mystery Box: Part I (I expect a sequel next summer).

Fans want to know if Aaron Gordon can make the Pacers better or worse if they sign him. Julius Randle’s name pops up a lot as well as Kemba Walker in these discussions. They offer the possibility of something greater.

What often gets lost in these trade or signing ideas is the actual mechanics of it. It is a little harder than NBA 2K to put together a roster.

Gordon is a restricted free agent, meaning that whatever offer Kevin Pritchard and the Pacers may offer him, the Orlando Magic have the right to match it. Same goes for Randle. There are some unrestricted free agents out there, but it seems less likely that the Pacers will land them than those two or other lesser hyped players.

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And who do you give up to make that happen? Thaddeus Young is the current starting power forward. We’ve seen in the past that Gordon nor Randle are capable of playing the small forward position, so it seems unlikely you can have a roster with one of them and Thad, not to mention finding time for both Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis.

And finding the money for these players isn’t easy, either. Go play around with Sham Sports’ Capulator for a bit. While you can create some cap room by waiving Al Jefferson and renouncing Ben Moore’s and Alex Poythress’ free agent rights, that only creates $12 million in cap room. To sign Gordon or Randle, you’ll need more than that.

But as fans, none of that matters. That’s for Pritchard to figure out. It’s his job to do the math, it’s our job as fans to create an exciting roster in our heads.

And that’s the appeal of the Mystery Box. A boat is a boat, the Pacers are the Pacers, but the mystery box could be anything.

While I’m mocking the idea of the Mystery Box — change — a bit here, I don’t believe Indiana will stand pat this summer and run the exact same roster back. The real question is how they make those changes and by how much.

And that’s the appeal of the Mystery Box. A boats a boat, the Pacers are the Pacers, but the mystery box could be anything.

The first important date coming up is the NBA draft on June 21st. The Pacers could make some noise on draft night by trading for players for picks (to create more cap room) or vice versa. With the flexibility Pritchard created for the team, Indiana can be buyers or sellers depending on how he reads the trade winds.

Even if they don’t make a move on draft night, free agency begins soon after, when once again the rumors will fly and the Mystery Box will be at the height of its power. Anything can happen.

They might add one piece, or they could make a push and revamp the rotation entirely.

Next: 2017-18 Pacers Player Review: Glenn Robinson III

The question really is do the Pacers want what’s in the Mystery Box this summer?

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