On Thursday, July 16th, Tyrese Haliburton stepped in for Steve Nash as the co-host of the Mind the Game podcast with LeBron James at Fanatics Fest (try saying that five times fast). Indiana Pacers fans had hoped for a recruitment effort, especially considering the on-court fit.
Well, good news Pacers fans, he did recruit LeBron, even before we knew he was leaving the LA Lakers.
The bad news is, when Haliburton texted LeBron about joining the Pacers, the forward responded with nothing but laughing emojis.
Ouch.
With that dream dead, the Pacers can focus on filling out the rest of the roster and answering questions of who will be the backup center or who will take the final roster spot. However, it does offer a question with pretty terrifying implications:
Can the Pacers attract free agents?
LeBron James: exception or rule?
Let's start with the obvious: it's hard for any team, even those in the biggest markets or with the best rosters, to attract a free agent of LeBron's caliber.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have a roster set to win, a transcendent superstar shooting guard, a culture that just sent them to two Conference Finals in the past three years, and a massive hole at the power forward spot that LeBron could slide straight into. They're still not in the top three according to many sources.
The Pacers were always a pipe dream for LeBron.
However, players should want to play with a star like Tyrese Haliburton, who puts scorers in the best position to succeed while also keeping the ball moving with a staggering low usage rate in his role.
Instead, Indiana has had to rely on trades to build the team. Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac, and Tyrese Haliburton were all acquired in trades. A free agent signing would be so much simpler to add to this core if the Pacers could simply find one willing to sign.
Instead, any roster upgrade would have to come with a sacrifice. It's simply unfortunate that marquee signings come in the form of good players, like Kelly Oubre, and not superstars like James.
What LeBron's destinations mean for the Pacers
LeBron will obviously have to sign *somewhere*. He has confirmed that much at the very least. The hope is that he finds a home in the Western Conference, leaving the Pacers to try to catch up to a team like the New York Knicks and rapidly ascending Philadelphia 76ers.
The Sixers, in particular, are a scary option for James. Alongside fellow Klutch client Tyrese Maxey, the recently traded Jaylen Brown, and former MVP Joel Embiid, James could create an even bigger gap between Indiana and the top of the East.
James hinted at leaving the Western Conference he's played in since he signed with the Lakers in 2018 by saying "...the excitement coming to the Eastern Conference this season is being talked about more."
The 41-year-old will not be a Pacer, but the worry is that he could make it even harder for Indiana to have the bounce-back year it is hoping for.
With a decision on the horizon, all we can do is hope and wish he had chosen differently.
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