Many Indiana Pacers fans have anticipated that the team will look to upgrade its center position this season or in the summer instead of relying on Jay Huff and Isaiah Jackson moving forward. According to Marc Stein of "The Stein Line," this is exactly the case, and Indiana is specifically eying Walker Kessler and Daniel Gafford.
"Kessler will be a restricted free agent in the summer and the Jazz continue to signal that they hope to re-sign him after first capitalizing on their projected salary cap space in the offseason ... Yet the repeated signals emanating from Salt Lake City indicate that Utah wants to keep Kessler have not stopped Indiana from expressing trade interest in the promising big man," Stein wrote.
Kessler and Dallas' Daniel Gafford are two bigs that the Pacers have tried to engage on in recent weeks with an eye toward landing a quality center before Tyrese Haliburton's projected return from an Achilles tear when next season commences.
The Pacers may need a new center to compete for a championship
The Pacers' center situation post-Myles Turner hasn't been as bad as many expected. Replacing the Texas native, who had been with the team for a decade, was always going to be tough. He can stretch the floor and protect the rim at a high level, which is crucial in Indiana's system. However, things are finally looking up for the Pacers, particularly regarding Huff.
In his last 13 games, the Virginia alum has averaged 10.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 3.3 blocks while shooting 45.7% from the field and 34.7% from deep. Additionally, he took over as the Pacers' starting center and is beginning to look much more comfortable on both sides of the ball.
However, while Huff is playing well, there are concerns about him being the Pacers' long-term starting center. Given that they are reportedly looking to upgrade their center position, it's clear that they don't trust the North Carolina native to start for them once they re-enter the title picture.
Huff is still too slow to be a perfect fit in Indiana's system, especially on offense. Additionally, he is not much of a ceiling-raiser, and the Pacers are never going to win games because of him. He is an asset, but can he elevate his game against the top centers in the league? Probably not.
Any move the Pacers make at center will be with the future in mind. They are currently 6-21 and are 5.5 games behind the No. 10 seed Chicago Bulls. Furthermore, they are just one game ahead of the Washington Wizards, who own the worst record in the NBA, in the standings.
Regardless, once they get Tyrese Haliburton back, the Pacers should be able to make some noise in the East once again. And for them to capitalize on their championship window as much as possible, acquiring a new center may be necessary, and it may happen as soon as this season.