5 Pacers who are playing for their future in Indiana
By Joe Lyon
3. Chris Duarte
Duarte got off to a hot start in Indiana during his rookie season. However, there were doubts about Duarte being a good draft pickup given his age and lack of upside for growth. Many fans felt that Duarte was a win-now kind of player that the Pacers might have been looking at with their old core of Sabonis and Brogdon.
However, after the Haliburton trade, Duarte has found himself in sort of a no-mans land. The Pacers have a plethora of shooting guards at the moment, including guards and combo guards such as Haliburton, Mathurin, Hield, Nembhard, McConnell, and even players like Nesmith that can play the 3 spot.
This leaves Duarte in a precarious position of where he fits in the rotation? Not to mention that Duarte has largely come back to earth in terms of his shooting and play, and Pacers fans may begin to wonder if Duarte’s days may be numbered in Indiana.