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2017-18 Pacers Player Reviews: Al Jefferson

By Tony East

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 17: Al Jefferson #25 of the Indiana Pacers handles the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards on March 17, 2018 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 17: Al Jefferson #25 of the Indiana Pacers handles the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards on March 17, 2018 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Al Jefferson Indiana Pacers
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 15: Al Jefferson #25 of the Indiana Pacers is seen during the game against the Toronto Raptors at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 15, 2018, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

What’s next for Al Jefferson?

Jefferson has one of the most interesting offseasons coming up of anyone on the entire roster. He is due to make $10 million next season, but only $4 million of that money is guaranteed.

His contract doesn’t fully guarantee until January of 2019, so the Pacers could decide to keep him around until then. If they do decide to waive him, they could wait to do it until they absolutely need the extra cap space.

Another thing about Jefferson is that the $6 million difference between his non-guaranteed salary and his cap figure could be appealing to teams looking to clear some salary cap space. Trading away any player that makes $6.1 million or more for Jefferson would help another team shed some salary, so even though Jefferson isn’t actually worth $10 million, he is still tradable and could be appealing to other teams.

Despite not being worth his current contract, his veteran presence makes him valuable to keep around. If Jefferson and his camp are up for it, the Pacers could waive Jefferson and then resign him for the minimum. That would save the Pacers roughly $4.7 million in cap space while still allowing them to retain Jefferson and his services.

Next: Victor Oladipo hosting a basketball camp in Indiana this August

With so many options, what comes next for Jefferson is hard to say. He could look to go to a team that could offer him more playing time were the Pacers to waive him. Who knows what his interests are. But regardless, the combination of his on-court and off-court value were huge benefits for the Pacers this past season. Whether it is over or not, his time in Indiana should be remembered fondly. Especially this past season.

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