On Friday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves completed the final move of their offseason, sending out Josh Green, whom they acquired as part of the LaMelo Ball trade, for former top-10 pick Cody Williams and John Konchar from the Utah Jazz.
This move was made as part of the Wolves' signing of Jonathan Kuminga, whose two-year, 13 million dollar deal would have been illegal if Minnesota had not cut salary. It's worth noting that Minnesota had previously been looking to slot Green into their rotation if they had not signed the 2021 seventh overall pick.
Before this trade, Minnesota had been exploring the option of cutting Green. Had he become available, the Pacers surely would have been a perfect option for both player and team. Instead, he will suit up for a Utah team that is rapidly changing from supersized lineups to small-ball.
While the Wolves did not cut Green, they did end up cutting part of their return package in moving him. For many of the same reasons that Green was enticing, John Konchar is a great option to fill the final roster spot for the Indiana Pacers.
Konchar's blend of size, shooting, playmaking, and defense could make him a great addition to the Pacers' bench, which needs versatility more than anything.
Konchar can do it all
Konchar has been among the most underrated players in the NBA for years. While he's not a world beater, he feels like the ideal third wing on a team that is hoping to win a lot of games. He blends playmaking and shooting in a minimal usage role while being a good enough defender to make do.
He had a triple-double in April for the admittedly terrible Jazz, who were just a little worse than the Indiana Pacers last year, that put on display what he can do.
His shooting has fallen off since he shot 41.7% from deep in 2021-22 across over 70 games, as he now sits at a career 34.9% mark. Over the past five seasons, he has surpassed league average only once.
Still, that drop-off coincides perfectly with the decline of Ja Morant. As the playmaker setting him up played worse, so did his shot quality. Being dropped off in Utah on a team that has shooting and size but no real player to run the show certainly didn't help.
It stands to reason that he could certainly bounce back in a better situation, especially with the open threes that he once feasted on as a Memphis Grizzly.
His supplemental playmaking, however, is the most exciting appeal for the Pacers. As it stands, three members of the Pacers' starting lineup are capable playmakers: Tyrese Haliburton as the showrunner, and Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac as sufficient low-usage pieces.
Adding Konchar would give Indiana something similar to what Zubac had in LA alongside Nic Batum. It would give them a low usage forward option that does something that no one on their roster can emulate.
The Pacers are not forced to fill their 15th roster spot. As such, they should only do so to either sign or trade for someone who can play in a playoff rotation.
Konchar has as good a shot as any to do exactly that.
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