Signing Mirotic would undoubtedly fit the vision the front office has described. After being traded by New Orleans around the trade deadline, Niko increased his three-point attempt rate from 56.8% to 64.4%. The change of scenery moved the forward into a new system that revolves around Antetokounmpo driving into the paint and scoring, or dishing the ball out to a shooter on the arc.
The returning big men this fall for the Pacers are (currently) Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis, TJ Leaf, and Alize Johnson. Starting power forward Thaddeus Young is an unrestricted free agent and his return will be contingent on both the team’s plans and the market for his services.
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If Young and the Pacers organization agree on a new deal, the addition of Mirotic would be superfluous to the roster. However, there’s no guarantee all the big men currently under contract are wearing an Indiana jersey next season and even the Pacers core could be significantly different in just a few months time.
When Pritchard was asked during an interview on 1070 The Fan, he openly stated he would be as big of a player in free agency as the rest of the league:
“I think it’s going to be players jumping from team to team more than ever before and we’re going to be right in the middle of that.”
If the team really is planning to be a contender on the free agent market, I can only think of a handful of viable options, at the forward, that I would take over Mirotic. Therefore, I think the team should pursue him and he could seamlessly fit into the starting lineup or a major bench role. His ability to space the floor would be beneficial for creating opportunities offensively in a fast-paced system with a heavy emphasis on three-point shooting.
Defenders have to respect the 6’10” dead-eye when he’s hovering downtown, which means more pick-and-roll opportunities and room for Victor Oladipo to shoot like a bullet at the hoop.
With under two months until free agency opens, a lot could change around the league and for the Pacers in a short time-span. With the flexibility the team has, I by no means believe they should limit themselves to a player like Mirotic.
However, his presence would create an immediate impact that wouldn’t require a max contract and hamstring the organizations’ ability to bring in other impactful players.