Indiana Pacers: The argument for running it back next season

Free agency and the trade market won’t be appealing enough for the Indiana Pacers to make a big switch

If there’s a big external factor that usually prompts teams to move the needle substantially, it’s the offseason. Free agency and the trade market are two easy avenues to take in pursuit of a retool or a revamp. However, this summer’s iteration is not appealing enough for the Indiana Pacers to invert the scales completely.

While the 2021 offseason was initially thought to be a hell of a summer, marque names who verged into free agency all re-signed with their respective clubs, effectively plummeting the stock of the free agent market.

The trade market may be a viable route, but only if the Pacers are willing to make compromises that will yield uncertain returns. For example, a frequent narrative in Indiana’s offseason is the future of Myles Turner.

The deals that are possible for the rangy rim protector seem to require Indiana to sacrifice and adjust more than the other party. Thus, the odds of winning in a deal for the prized big man appear to be marginal, unless Indy wants to play the good guy and wait for the immediate return to develop, as it is with a first-round pick, or break the bank and incorporate a salary hole, a la Andrew Wiggins, and risk muddling with the brewing team chemistry and cap flexibility.

Also, considering Indiana’s minimal wiggle room to make bold signings, the team may be better off seeing what they have at the maximum with their current group and preserve some much-needed flexibility to make tweaks or even an overhaul in upcoming summers which project to be far more attractive than the current one.