Indiana Pacers: Ranking all major moves so far this offseason

The Indiana Pacers told us they were going to be aggressive this offseason, and so far, they have absolutely lived up to the hype! But how do these moves stack up against each other?

The Pacers entered the offseason with a couple of major needs, which we have listed here. And for the most part they have followed up on many of those priorities. They have filled gaps in the roster (we have a couple of power forwards, finally!) as well as have locked up some long-term priorities.

So to start off our list with number five:

5. The Pacers thinned out some of the crowd at the two-spot by trading away Chris Duarte.

This move could end up parlaying into something bigger, but at the moment, this is at the fifth spot. Shams Charania is reporting that the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers are finalizing a trade to move Duarte to Sacramento.

While we have yet to hear anything else on the matter, it is likely because they are looking to bring in another team or are waiting for some piece of the trade to clear red tape. Duarte had a disappointing second season in Indiana and it looks like the Pacers decided quickly to move on rather than invest more time, which was probably a good idea.

4. Trade for an NBA champion and incredibly versatile player.

Players like Bruce Brown don’t come around often. He isn’t the type of player that will blow you away with stats. But what he will do?

Absolutely. Anything. You. Need. Him. To.

Brown is able to play any position on the court (even the five during the small ball lineups in Brooklyn) and is able to do it well. He does the things that nobody wants to do. He is able to excel in areas the Pacers desperately have needed help in recent years such as rebounding, going for loose balls, and guarding the best players on the other team.

Did we overpay for him? A bit. But the structure of the contract always matters, and in this case, the second year is a team option. This means that if Brown doesn’t live up to the size of the contract (money we had to spend anyway), we can move on next year. This is a win/win/win for all parties involved and will be beneficial in rocketing the Pacers up the standings next year.

And Tyrese? He’s pumped to bring in Bruce:

3. Trade for an oft overlooked former lottery pick that fits the teams needs perfectly in Obi Toppin.

Toppin has had a rough time in the NBA so far having to play behind Julius Randle and not really getting a chance to regularly see the court. But there is a feeling in the NBA that Toppin could really still amount to something in the NBA, and we believe that Haliburton will be able to unlock everything that Toppin could be. And apparently Haliburton does too:

Toppin is a high-flying power forward that can put some exciting dunks onto the highlight reel. Don’t believe us? Look at this highlight reel that shows just how athletic Toppin can be while he’s soaring towards the basket:

Is there a chance that Toppin could amount to nothing more than a bench power forward that could contribute to the Pacers depth? Yes. Is there a chance that Toppin played in the wrong offense and could absolutely break out next to an all-time point guard? Yes.

Take the over.

2. Draft a promising young power forward that does everything the Pacers need a player to do in Jarace Walker.

Walker may not be a generational prospect. But honestly? We already have one of those in Tyrese Haliburton. What Walker actually does is everything else, he collects rebounds and provides the glue within both the offense and defense. Between him and Bruce Brown? The Pacers are going to have a MUCH improved defense this upcoming year.

And Walker still has upside and is SO YOUNG. He is only 19 and has quite a bit of growth potential in the coming years as he continues to head towards his basketball prime. Plus? The guy truly has a million dollar smile and personality.

While some have doubts after a so-so showing in the NCAA tournament, don’t sleep on Jarace. He does everything on the court well, and is an elite defender. There is a good chance that Jarace could become a future all-defensive first team and contender for defensive player of the year. And with the success of the first-round picks last year (Mathurin and Nembhard), there is reason to trust the front office knows what they are doing.

1. Extend their franchise cornerstone and generational point guard in Tyrese Haliburton.

Was there ever any doubt that this would top the list? And let’s get this out of the way up front, signing Tyrese Haliburton to five years and 260 million was NOT an overpay. If anything, it’s an underpay in what he is already doing for the Pacers franchise.

He is resurrecting a franchise that desperately needed direction and a franchise face. He is representing Indiana at national events and at speaking engagements. He has a million-dollar smile and personality that is making the Pacers a likeable team across the league. And he is elevating the play of every single person that he plays with.

Haliburton has been proving doubters wrong for a long time now, and all indications look to be that he will continue to for years to come. He has one All-Star appearance under his belt, look for him to add five more over the course of this contract and start competing for first and second team All-NBA awards by the end of the contract.

He is just now entering his prime and the Pacers have loaded the roster with high-flying talents in Toppin, Walker, and Mathurin to turn Haliburton into a human highlight reel and the Pacers into the greatest show on court. Buckle in Pacers fans.

Breaking: Pacers making a high-upside trade for former lottery pick

The Indiana Pacers were busy during the first day of free agency adding one of the most sought after names in free agency.