After a disappointing rookie season last year, there were relatively high hopes for Jarace Walker in his second season with the Indiana Pacers. For the most part, while he did show flashes, Walker did not get many more opportunities to develop and showcase his talents on the court. This led many to wonder what Walker's long-term outlook in Indiana looked like, including whether he would be a potential trade candidate as soon as this offseason. Recently, this may have changed, however.
In his last 10 games of the regular season, the Houston alum averaged 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 53.2% from the field and 53.7% from beyond the arc. Walker recorded double-digit points in eight of those games and looked much more comfortable on the court. After it looked like Walker was out of the rotation, he has carried this momentum into the playoffs, where he is shooting a playoff-high 75% from beyond the arc on 2 attempts per game.
Walker is quickly becoming an asset for Indiana, which is great news for him and the team. However, because of his emergence, the Pacers may be forced to make some moves in the offseason that could change the landscape of the team.
Jarace Walker may run another key role player out of Indiana
Walker is still just 21 years old and is not even close to hitting his peak. He has shown glimpses of potential, which the Pacers will want to maximize in any way they can. However, there is now a notable logjam at power forward that will make this difficult. The Pacers are not moving on from Pascal Siakam, who has been crucial to their success since acquiring him last year. However, Obi Toppin may be a different story.
In his two seasons in Indiana, Toppin has been a fantastic backup forward who has improved in nearly every aspect of his game. However, the Pacers signed Toppin to a new four-year, $58 million deal last year, which some say is the team's most tradable contract. As the Pacers look to shed some salary in the offseason to re-sign Myles Turner, extend Bennedict Mathurin, and avoid paying the luxury tax, trading Toppin is a very real possibility. The problem is, Toppin is playing too well for the Pacers to trade him strictly for financial flexibility.
Toppin is still just 27 years old and continues to improve. Additionally, he has done a fantastic job of developing into a more well-rounded player who can contribute to winning basketball in multiple ways. However, despite his value, the team may have more reasons to trade him than to keep him around.
The playoffs are still here, and it is too early for the Pacers to think about what changes they might make in the offseason, but as it stands, this will be an important storyline to follow until there is some more clarity.