Indiana Pacers: What position needs to be addressed in the NBA Draft?

Could the Indiana Pacers draft another center?

Though Sabonis may be technically listed as a forward, by all intensive purposes, he is a center on both ends of the floor. As is Turner. As is Goga Bitadze.

Essentially, there’s not much room for a center on the Pacers roster. However, if they feel the best player on the board is a center, much like they did when Bitadze was selected in the 2019 draft, then they should take the said player.

But, for that player to receive playing time, the roster would have to look much different. Sabonis and Turner, when both healthy, eat almost all of the minutes at center and whatever they don’t fill tends to be filled with Bitadze. While they have room at the 4, drafting someone who is best as the primary center on the floor and having them play minutes as a forward, seems wasteful, especially with the lottery pick.

And it’s not like Sabonis, Turner, and Bitadze are all on expiring deals and are seasoned veterans. The only way one of them is coming off the roster in the next few years is via trade, and while that is certainly a possibility, the long-term outlook for a center drafted by Indiana doesn’t look much better than the short-term.

Lottery Centers: Evan Mobley, Alperen Sengun, Day’Ron Sharpe, Kai Jones

2nd Round Centers: Luka Garza, Charles Bassey, Drew Timme