After boldly going idle on the first day of free agency, the Indiana Pacers finally moved the needle and made two big moves recently, trading Malcolm Brogdon to the Boston Celtics and surprisingly managing to re-sign Jalen Smith to a two-year deal.
As things currently shape up, the Pacers have a whopping 16 players under contract, in large part due to the Brogdon trade which saw them acquire a staggering six players. Even so, Indiana is definitely expected to trim the fat substantially to make more room for potential moves later on heading to the season.
The Indiana Pacers still have some options to choose from in the free agency market
Despite the barrage of moves around the league, the 2022 NBA Free Agency is only entering its fourth day. In fact, the league is still in the moratorium period, meaning that all free agency transactions have yet to be made official.
Many notable names are now off the board, but there are still impact players who remain available for plucking. With that considered, here are four remaining free agents that the Indiana Pacers should target before the offseason smoke dwindles and the countdown for the following campaign begins.
P.S. Do not expect an All-Star to pop up on this list.
Eric Paschall could be a great, low-risk frontcourt project for the Indiana Pacers
Re-signing Jalen Smith was massive for talent retention purposes in the advent of a full-on rebuild, but it was also crucial toward ensuring that the Indiana Pacers do not trot out a heavily undersized and frail squad next season.
However, the Pacers only have three playable big men on their roster, with one of those (Myles Turner) finding himself once again on the perpetual rumor mill, as if it was tradition. Hence, the front office should look into adding Eric Paschall not only for depth reasons, but also to satisfy a rebuilding-backed need to delve into possible reclamation projects.
Paschall, who was not tendered a qualifying offer by the retooling Utah Jazz, is an undersized power forward who is proficient at using his burly build to spawn mismatches and punish smaller defenders. More popular for his stint with the Warriors, he is a forceful interior scorer who can hit threes occasionally with good efficiency. While his lack of (vertical) size for his position makes him a below average rebounder, he should nonetheless be a relatively harmless get for the Pacers.
The Indiana Pacers could benefit from Jordan Nwora’s offensive malleability
Despite their draft additions, the Indiana Pacers remain without a true small forward on the roster. As currently constructed, they will have to compensate by playing some of their players out of position to man the spot next season.
Moving Bennedict Mathurin or Chris Duarte to the 3 ensures that the Pacers field their best talents on the floor, but a full-time reliance on such will heavily wear them down and risk injury, especially against bigger wings. The free agent market is bereft of many players who can mitigate this issue, but Jordan Nwora could deserve a shot in this regard.
The Milwaukee Bucks extended him a qualifying offer, but they may not be willing to hold onto the same project for the third consecutive year. Hence, Indiana should pounce on this opportunity, and zoom in on Nwora’s good size and athleticism. His offensive upside is there, despite his reliance on volume to score instead of efficiency. His defense needs a lot of work, but hey, this is a rebuilding team allowed to take in vulnerable pieces to develop.
Caleb Martin could be the ideal Buddy Hield replacement for the Indiana Pacers
Update: Caleb Martin has re-signed with the Miami Heat
The Indiana Pacers trading away Malcolm Brogdon could be interpreted as a prelude as to how they stand regarding the remaining veterans on the team. Thus, Buddy Hield, whom the team acquired with Tyrese Haliburton at the deadline last season, could also be on the move soon.
If so, the Pacers have to replace his three-point marksmanship, which will be crucial for giving more leeway for the likes of Haliburton, Chris Duarte, and Mathurin to operate. Fortunately, Caleb Martin remains unsigned in free agency, which is a bit surprising given his semi-breakout year for the Miami Heat in the recently concluded season.
Martin is coming off a great 2021-22 season which saw his register career-highs in shooting splits, draining 50.7 percent of his shots, including 41.3 percent of his threes. Certainly, the Pacers can make great use of his efficient scoring, in addition to his athleticism and reliable defense in spurts.
The Indiana Pacers could do far worse than re-signing TJ Warren to a prove-it deal
Update: TJ Warren has signed with the Brooklyn Nets.
As if there was any doubt, this list was never going to evade TJ Warren.
Still available on the free agent market, the Indiana Pacers should still be considered as the favorites for Warren. In fact, some outlets have pointed to the team fielding a short-term deal for him after missing nearly two full seasons due to injury.
Rebuild notwithstanding, the Pacers will benefit tremendously from, presumptively, getting a healthy Warren back. One of the best players for them in the last year they qualified for the playoffs, he remains their best combo forward if he re-ups with the Blue and Gold.
Sure, taking him on for a second go-round considering his health issues is quite the gamble, but doing so does not carry with it the normally high risk it entails. If things do not work out and the talented scorer proves to be more detrimental for the team in both the short and long-run, the Pacers can always make him available for trade. And the market for a relatively cheap scorer with some defensive acuity will always be robust.