Indiana Pacers: 3 free agents to pry away from the Los Angeles Lakers

Indiana Pacers free target from the Lakers: Alex Caruso

Admit it, the overhyped cog from the Lakers deserves most of the clout that he’s getting. After being an auxiliary piece for the Purple and Gold early in his stint with the team, Alex Caruso has proven himself as one of the defending champs’ critical role players. Sure, he’s not as good as what his popularity implies, but he’s also nowhere as bad as his deterrents point him out to be.

At some point in the offseason, the Lakers will be forced to choose between Horton-Tucker and Caruso. Either of those present a logical choice, but it is inevitable that one of them will be a casualty. And with Caruso’s skillset, the Indiana Pacers should quickly hop in the train if he’s left dangling.

Pursuing Caruso does depend on a bold premise: if current backup point guard TJ McConnell decides to leave town. And if the dominoes indeed fall against the Pacers with their trusted playmaker, then Caruso will be an apt replacement with his 3-and-D skillset. He most likely won’t command six figures, but Indiana will absolutely have to be more boisterous in a hypothetical offer.