Following the conclusion of the eventful 2022 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers will now set their sights on another major part of the offseason: free agency.
The starting date of this year’s free agency is yet to be announced, but with the league finally back to its normal schedule, it could very well be on the 30th of June, which has traditionally been the beginning point.
Now, here’s what Pacers fans should know about the crucial part of the summer.
What is the Indiana Pacers’ roster situation entering the 2022 NBA Free Agency?
Players with fully guaranteed contracts
Malcolm Brogdon, Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, TJ McConnell, Isaiah Jackson, Goga Bitadze
Players with partial guarantees & options
Oshae Brissett (team option), Terry Taylor ($625,000 guaranteed), Duane Washington Jr. (non-guaranteed)
Rookies
Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, Kendall Brown
Free Agents
Nate Hinton, Ricky Rubio, Gabe York, TJ Warren, Jalen Smith, Lance Stephenson
*For the first time since 2017, the Indiana Pacers have no dead cap. Monta Ellis’ cap hold ended last season.
How much can the Indiana Pacers spend in free agency?
Cap Maximum for 2022-23: $122,000,000
Current Cap Space (IND): $25,600,000
Unlike last season, when the Indiana Pacers were over the cap and had no means to sign a free agent outright, the team now touts the third-most projected cap space this summer.
With $25.6 million of cap space, the Pacers have the third-most spending power this offseason and are one of the only five teams with cap space at all, meaning that they should have a smaller competition pool when it comes to pursuing free agents atop their priority list.
The Pacers can free up even more space through trades
Aside from their robust cap space, Indiana have other liquifiable assets that they can maximize to further enhance their financial flexibility using the trade market:
- Malcolm Brogdon is the most likely player to be traded this offseason. Making more than $20 million annually, the Pacers can trade him to a hard-capped team for an equal salary (but less duration). The best-case scenario for the team is to trade him to a cap-rich team that can absorb his salary outright without Indiana receiving substantial money in return, freeing cap space, especially with the free agent market lacking multiple quality point guards.
- Myles Turner and Buddy Hield are reportedly available for trades as well. Turner can fetch the Pacers some good returns even if he’s on a rental, though they are almost guaranteed to absorb salary in return in view of his flight risk status. Hield, however, may be someone that Indy could dangle to a cap-rich club with an urgent need for his services.
TJ McConnell is easier to move, but it’s unlikely that the Pacers manage to find a trading partner that will willingly absorb his contract without sending ample salary to Indiana, especially given his injury last season.
Which free agents are available for the Indiana Pacers this offseason?
The 2022 free agency class is certainly not the best, but it still touts a lot of good players who can help the Indiana Pacers, especially with the front office having indicated that the team will try to be competitive next season.
Here are some of the free agents that the Pacers can realistically target at each position:
Point Guards
- Tyus Jones
- Delon Wright
- Collin Sexton
- Gary Payton II
- Jalen Brunson
- Jevon Carter
Shooting Guards
- Gary Harris
- Hamidou Diallo
- Bruce Brown Jr.
- Lonnie Walker IV
- Anfernee Simons
*The Pacers do not need more guards
Small Forwards
- TJ Warren
- Kyle Anderson
- Miles Bridges
- Nicolas Batum
- Otto Porter Jr.
- Stanley Johnson
- Cody Martin
Power Forwards
- Taurean Prince
- Marvin Bagley III
- Jalen Smith
- Chris Boucher
- Bobby Portis
- Eric Paschall
Centers
- Jusuf Nurkic
- Montrezl Harrell
- Deandre Ayton
- Ivica Zubac
- JaVale McGee
- Mitchell Robinson
- Naz Reid
- Isaiah Hartenstein