For the second straight season, the Indiana Pacers will be watching the NBA Playoffs from home after finishing with the fifth-worst record in the league. Thus, the franchise will have its eyes glued to the offseason, where a bevy of crucial decisions await the franchise in the NBA Draft and in free agency.
While this year’s crop of free agents is far from a star-studded one, the cap-rich Pacers still have some pondering to do on players they would want to pursue or steer clear from as they attempt to make a swift pivot back to competitiveness in the next campaign. To start things off, what should Indiana do with its own free agents? We begin by taking a hard look at one “Pacer” who never played a minute for the team this season.
Should the Indiana Pacers bother knocking on Ricky Rubio’s door?
Ricky Rubio, who was stashed to the Pacers in the Caris LeVert trade, played productive basketball for Cleveland prior to a devastating ACL injury that sidelined him for the season. As a result, he never logged a minute for Indiana and was never even seen with the Blue and Gold at all as he rehabbed away from the team.
While Rubio is one of the better backup floor generals in the league, there’s simply no desire at this juncture for both parties to come on terms with a new deal. The 31-year-old does not fit a need for Indiana, and will be much better off playing for a team needing a veteran rotation cog. Even previous reports point to him being interested in reuniting with the Cavaliers.
Thus, this should be a very easy call.
Verdict: Pass
Could the Indiana Pacers secure Jalen Smith back for another season?
Happening almost concurrently with the semi-blockbuster Haliburton-Sabonis trade, the deal that landed Jalen Smith in Indiana was less boisterous, but on a relative degree, it should probably be met with more praise for the Pacers front office.
After serving as a full-time benchwarmer for the Phoenix Suns in one-and-a-half season, the sophomore big man has opened eyes in the Circle City. In 24 appearances with the team, Smith logged 13.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in just 24.7 minutes per contest, showcasing his versatility as a rim runner and a floor spacer.
However, while the Pacers could normally keep him, they are hobbled by design in mounting an offer for him as they can only bid $4.5 million for his services according to the rules following the Suns’ jettisoning of his third-year option before the trade.
Obviously, the Indiana Pacers should and would want him back, but given their financial outlook with Jalen Smith, they can only hope that the big man treasures his opportunity with the team and opts for a one-year discount as a domino for a bigger deal or that everyone in the league sees his improved output only as an aberration and declines to take a gamble.
Verdict: Pursue (and Pray)
Should Lance Stephenson remain on the Indiana Pacers roster next season?
One of the few joys in this rather dejecting season was the reunion of Lance Stephenson and the Indiana Pacers for the former’s third stint with the franchise. He wasn’t expected nor tabbed on to play a prominent role, but as a veteran presence off the bench, he managed to be productive, registering 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in just 18.6 minutes per contest.
With the Pacers on the travails of a rebuild, keeping Stephenson is not a priority, though it is not a knack to his game at all. Indiana could be a key player in the player movement front this summer, and they may not have enough roster spots to keep accommodating him.
Just kidding.
Young teams need that veteran who can bind them together as they trek through the highs and lows of being an inexperienced bunch. Fortunately, Born Ready is more than just a presence, he is Indiana, a culture-setter. better yet, he can be productive in spurts, and his infamous antics on the court have dwindled for the better.
Re-signing Stephenson should not be costly at all. Heck, there’s also little to no risk in having him animate the Pacers bench once more and spark a run or two at times. Discussions could be hazier than what fans would want, but as of now, this is a rather easy call to make.
Verdict: Pursue
Should TJ Warren have the chance to play another game for the Indiana Pacers?
Easily the most sensitive panel of this discussion, TJ Warren‘s upcoming free agency will be enigmatic not only for the Indiana Pacers, but also for the rest of the league. After missing two seasons due to a foot injury, there’s little that teams could do to properly infer his value as a free agent.
Factoring in that uncertainty, the rest of the league may depend on the Pacers front office as the barometer, as Indiana could volunteer to be the team that takes another risk at the talented scorer. The financial push and pull between the two parties could easily determine his worth around the league, especially with so many teams financially limited from pursuing him.
Now, should the Pacers re-sign him? If he can play and accept a streamlined deal, which is injury-inflicted, then this should be a no-brainer. Otherwise, Indiana will be much better off tendering offers to defensive-minded forwards who could take on his projected role. Also, his niche as an offensive machine is also not a cause for desperation given the team’s ample array of scorers anyway.
Still, realistically speaking, this is the Indiana Pacers we’re talking about. Going by precedence, bank on the front office to have exhaustive discussions with TJ Warren this offseason about a return.
Verdict: Pass (though the Pacers will likely pursue)