Imagine the ideal third option alongside Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. What are their strengths? Well, to start out with, they must be able to shoot at an elite clip to maximize the gravity of Haliburton and Siakam in transition while also maximizing the open shots the Indiana Pacers' fast-paced system generates.
Additionally, they need to be able to create for themselves to some extent. The Pacers roster lacks any capable initiators outside of those top two options, and maybe Andrew Nembhard or TJ McConnell if absolutely necessary.
On offense, the ability to transition between being an on- and off-ball player would be vital, especially as minutes are staggered between the creators the Pacers roster already holds.
Most importantly, with Ivica Zubac already in the fold from a truly one-sided trade, it'd probably be best for this player to be a wing of some sort, whether a shooting guard or small forward, someone who could play alongside Aaron Nesmith or Andrew Nembhard with no real problems.
With the Pacers' strong offensive identity, their defense will always be a question mark. The choice then becomes whether to further build onto their pre-existing strengths or to supplement their weaknesses.
If Indiana is willing to go all-in on simply outscoring anyone, anytime, anyplace, the preferred target is clearly Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr.
There's just one big issue.
An upcoming cap table crunch in Indiana
Indiana has just three free agents this upcoming summer who require any amount of consideration. There are the two first-round picks from 2023, Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard, who have been massive disappointments, and there's Johnny Furphy, who could be a sneaky option for making the rotation, considering his impressive fit with Siakam.
Considering Porter Jr.'s contract expires this summer, and the Pacers would be acquiring his bird rights as part of a deal, there's no real problem with overspending this summer. That perception disappears when looking a little below the surface.
The 2028 offseason, two summers from now, will see six of the Pacers' top eight players hit free agency all at once. All of Siakam, Zubac, Nembhard, McConnell, Obi Toppin, and Kelly Oubre Jr. will be free agents.
With so many vital players set to hit the market, Indiana will need to come up with some extensions to limit the number of negotiations, at the very least. As such, this coming summer, not the one that will follow it, will be too busy and hectic to add another domino to it.
MPJ will surely want a raise after his max rookie scale extension comes to a close. With so many players already in the fold to handle, trying to find both the money and the time to finalize that deal is likely too tall a task.
That's unfortunate. It really is.
On paper, Porter is the perfect complement to the Pacers' pre-existing core. He has shown far more creation than other targets like Trey Murphy III and has actually contributed to winning basketball, winning a title as a key starter for the Denver Nuggets.
However, if bringing in the former lottery pick means risking the entire infrastructure of what the Pacers have built, it's simply not worth the chance.
But fans can dream, and that fit is worth dreaming about.
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