Indiana Pacers: 5 former Rick Carlisle players who can bolster the bench

Following the eventful hiring of Rick Carlisle, the Indiana Pacers managed to cross out a pivotal entry on their summer checklist. Clearly on the win-now train, the front office still has a lot of work to do, especially with improving the roster.

While the cupboard is not at all bare when it comes to the key guys composing the Blue and Gold, installing new pieces to bolster the second unit will do wonders for the Pacers, which may be a necessity considering Indiana’s failure to deploy a healthy lineup since who knows when.

Rick Carlisle may draw from familiar faces to improve the Indiana Pacers bench

Big-name hunting won’t be a viable resort to take in the offseason. Since the Pacers are hard-capped anyway, and the free agency class is not enough for the team to amply move the needle, the point of emphasis in the market will be finding role players who can fit in Rick Carlisle’s vision.

While fitting in won’t be a major problem for Rick Carlisle, who already had two prior stints with the franchise, an ounce of familiarity on his part from his long layoff from Indy will be welcome. Hence, here are five former players that he’s coached who can give the creative coach added flexibility and utility in the second unit.