Day 1 of the 2021 NBA Free Agency saw a flurry of player movement left and right. The Indiana Pacers did not go off-tangent, managing to secure two under-the-radar players who should be able to contribute immediately to the team next season.
While the Pacers entered free agency without much flexibility to spend and make a landmark acquisition, the front office did not shy away from the transaction panel, quickly moving at the earliest opportunity, albeit without much flash to boot.
The Indiana Pacers quickly pulled the trigger in the 2021 NBA free agency
Indiana wasted no moment, re-upping point guard TJ McConnell to a new deal. While scorer and sharpshooter Doug McDermott moves on to greener pastures, the Blue and Gold quickly countered by adding an experienced tweener to cope with his absence.
With the smoke-filled first day of free agency which featured a lot of significant player movement now over, how did the Indiana Pacers fare in their recent string of moves to begin the period? In this piece, we grade them out.
TJ McConnell remains with the Indiana Pacers
As if there was any doubt, playmaker TJ McConnell expectedly re-signed with the Indiana Pacers, agreeing in principle to a four-year deal worth 35.2 million dollars that will keep him in the Circle City until 2025.
The move came as no surprise to many, especially with the pesky playmaker expressing earnest intent to remain in Indy after tallying a career-year last season to the tune of 8.6 points, 6.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game off the bench, the latter of which ranked second in the association.
Re-upping McConnell was likely not met with much wavering. After all, the six-year point guard rose as one of the league’s best floor generals off the bench with his efficient secondary scoring, impressive court vision and knack for steals. He was one of the few players who flourished in former coach Nate Bjorkgren’s shifty defensive tactics, finishing the season with the most overall steals.
McConnell figures to be a critical piece for the Indiana Pacers in the foreseeable future. While he has his own limitations as a player, his role with the team is already cemented. Long and relatively pricey deals for role players will always merit a second look, but the front office played it safe with this one and ultimately nailed it.
Grade: A
Doug McDermott leaves the Indiana Pacers for the Alamo City
The Indiana Pacers’ most vivid flight risk in the offseason rang the expected tone, moving on from the Blue and Gold to sign with the San Antonio Spurs on a lucrative three-year deal worth 42 million, an expensive yet precedented pact for one of this free agency class’ best three-point shooters.
Following the Pacers’ recent moves, especially the acquisition of Chris Duarte in the 2021 NBA Draft, keeping Doug McDermott became far from a priority, especially with Indiana needing to venture into luxury territory to keep the seven-year player on the team. It also must be noted that the wing position isn’t exactly a glaring weakness for the team with the likes of TJ Warren, Justin Holiday, Oshae Brissett and another new face occupying the position next season.
By going to the Alamo City, McDermott didn’t only secure the bag, but also managed to carve out a perfect situation for him, with San Antonio being the lone team last season to not average double-digit made threes per game, an area that he should be able to fill in with ease.
Call Indiana a bit conservative by staying clear of McDermott, but the front office’s obvious perception of less is more in this situation is not only apt roster-wise, but also practical with regards to keeping flexibility for keeping the team’s core players later on. A sign-and-trade to exact some assets in return is still on the table, though that seems unlikely at this point.
Grade: B+
Three-and-D adept Torrey Craig signs with the Indiana Pacers
Speaking of the “new face” from the previous slide, the Indiana Pacers surprisingly managed to snag free agent forward Torrey Craig. One of the league’s most effective three-and-D adepts at the tweener role, the 30-year-old agreed to a two-year deal with the Blue and Gold set at ten million dollars.
With contenders expected to line up for Craig’s services, news of him heading to Indiana was a bit surprising, especially with the team currently reeling after missing the postseason in the last campaign.
Still, given the Pacers and head coach Rick Carlisle’s desire for the team to regain its defensive identity after steeply declining on that end last season, acquiring Craig will help in a lot of ways, especially with his physical and blue-collar play fortifying Indiana’s brittle wing defense.
It’s interesting, however, to see how Craig’s arrival will impact the rotation. Brissett needs to play substantially after his impressive debut late last season and Holiday should comfortably slot in as the team’s primary backup to TJ Warren. Perhaps this will prompt the Indiana Pacers to shed some players like Jeremy Lamb, or trim the frontcourt in a stylistic change to small-ball.
Grade: A-