The Pacers were bound to have a busy summer. They need to add forwards desperately to a roster that has far too many guards on it. And because of this, the Pacers are starting to get linked to a forward and also (confusingly) a guard across the league in the last few days. Let’s discuss who the Pacers are connected to and what they might pay.
Harrison Barnes continues to get linked to the team
The connections between Barnes and the franchise are numerous, the two biggest being Tyrese Haliburton and Rick Carlisle. Tyrese played alongside Barnes in Sacramento and the sentiment seems to be that the two generally enjoyed their time together. Additionally, Rick coached Barnes while he was in Dallas and seems to have high praise for Barnes as a player. But what would Barnes bring to the Indiana Pacers?
Stability at a position that has for too long gone unfilled. Last season Barnes averaged the following: fifteen points, five rebounds, and two assists. While that won’t blow anyone away it will work as a starting role player at the four spot that doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective all of the time. Jake Fischer, senior NBA reporter at Yahoo! Sports has reported sources indicating that this isn’t mere rumor, but insiders believe the Pacers are seriously in play for bringing in Barnes.
The Pacers are seriously weighing bringing in…….Max Strus?
Via the Stein Line, Marc Stein is reporting that the Pacers are seriously considering offering a healthy three year contract to Miami Heat guard Max Strus. Now in a vacuum, this would be find, Strus is a great player who is coming off a solid year helping the Miami Heat get to the NBA finals. But from a teambuilding standpoing? It’s a little confusing.
The Indiana Pacers are strongly weighing a three-year offer for Max Strus in the $48 million range, per @TheSteinLine
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 29, 2023
“Sources tell The Stein Line that the Indiana Pacers, who are projected to have more than $30 million in salary cap space, are strongly weighing a three-year… pic.twitter.com/ir8JbCwI0U
The Pacers already have serious backlog issues at the two-guard spot, the very reason we are so shorthanded at forward. Currently, our potential two-guards that are certainly going to be on the roster are Heild, Nembhard, Mathurin, Duarte, and Sheppard. Bringing in another one makes little sense, and this is why Pacers fans were a bit confused. Now perhaps they are pursuing Max Strus because they have other plans to rearrange their current shooting guard rotation. If that is the case, than Strus is not a bad option to fit the timeline and playstyle of the Carlisle offense.
While not flashy, Barnes may be a smart option.
Barnes could start while Jarace develops into an NBA player. Additionally, Barnes won’t command a really large salary or length of his contract and it could be lined up with the Turner extension so that the Pacers can make some key decisions all at once.
Of course, the Pacers should only pursue Barnes if a better player (such as OG Anunoby) is entirely off the table. Barnes would likely only be a short-term fix to a long-term need and the Pacers would need to evaluate how the team is functioning in the coming years. It’s entirely possible that Walker could develop into a long-term starter in the next two years, making any free agent power forward useless for the starting lineup.
Strus on the other hand? Will be hoping for a longer deal and plays a position that we have too many of in the first place.
Our opinion?
Buy on the Harrison Barnes rumors and sell on the Max Strus rumors.
What do you think the Pacers should do? Let us know on @8pts9secs
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