The 2022 NBA Free Agency is just a breeze away, and the Indiana Pacers have their own deck of incoming free agents to focus on. However, while they have loads of cap space that they can use to retain their wanted cogs, their hands are all but tied on one particular player.
Jalen Smith, who is about to enter the free agent market, is unlikely to remain in Indiana, not for basketball reasons, but because of money. The Pacers are, as said previously, limited as to what they can offer him, and after garnering attention due to his much-improved play donning the Blue and Gold in the latter part of the previous campaign, it would be very surprising if he takes a discount to remain with the team.
With that being said, here are the three biggest threats to sign Smith in free agency:
The Chicago Bulls could steal Jalen Smith from the Indiana Pacers due to their lack of size
It’s a worst-kept secret in the league that the Chicago Bulls badly lack size to properly contend in the Eastern Conference. After getting eliminated in a gentleman’s sweep by the Milwaukee Bucks in the playoff, it’s become pretty apparent that playing small ball almost exclusively will only serve to their detriment.
That is why the Bulls are a big threat to steal Jalen Smith from the Indiana Pacers. Nikola Vucevic can only do so much, and he is not a strong interior defender at all. Smith, while not a dominant presence in the post, is at least someone with good size who is mobile on defense and will not succumb on the boards.
Better yet, Smith should be a good addition to their offense. Capable of serving both as a pick-and-roll finisher and a floor spacer, he could viably play with Vucevic or play as the lone big in small, 5-out lineups which will maximize DeMar DeRozan and presumably, Zach LaVine’s scoring juice.
The San Antonio Spurs have a more pressing need for Smith than the Indiana Pacers
Another team in dire need of frontcourt help is the San Antonio Spurs. Regardless of what happens with Dejounte Murray, the Gregg Popovich-led team badly needs to inject size to their roster in order to balance out their guard-heavy lineups.
Despite the addition of Jeremy Sochan as Jakob Poeltl’s running mate next season, the Spurs still only have the oft-injured Zach Collins as their remaining true big. This is where the Spurs boast a more compelling case for Jalen Smith than the Indiana Pacers, as they also have the financial tools aside from role assurance that could be critical to his free agency decision.
San Antonio’s scoring attack last season was very dependent on their backcourt. This is where Smith could make an impact, as he should be a good pick-and-roll partner for their litany of playmakers. His improved three-point shooting should also be a big boost to one of the league’s least frequent three-point gunning clubs.
The Houston Rockets could be attracted by Jalen Smith’s two-way potential
While the Houston Rockets seem comfortable having Alperen Sengun as their lone rotation big man next season, they are still vulnerable in the frontcourt. After the Christian Wood trade, they will be banking on raw players to man the big man positions, which may not play to their best interests.
Drafting Jabari Smith is massive of course, but he is more of a combo forward than a true big. They were widely believed to be gearing up for Paolo Banchero after the Wood trade, and while Smith is absolutely far from just a consolation prize, missing out on Banchero interjects Houston’s now-glaring frontcourt holes.
Jalen Smith could help them in this regard. He may not be able to significantly help the Rockets on the defensive end due to their fundamental lack of acuity on that end, but his offensive upside could attract their brass. His perimeter game from the power forward and center positions should be a very welcome addition to Houston’s up-tempo, perimeter-heavy scoring attack.