After Myles Turner left in the offseason, there were legitimate questions about what the Indiana Pacers were going to do at center. They entered the season running a center-by-committee, but as it stands, it's looking like they are realizing that this is not a long-term solution, and they're going to have to make some moves in the near future.
Where do the Pacers go from here?
The center-by-committee idea wasn't a bad one. In fact, there were some reasons to think it actually might work.
Rick Carlisle had experience running this type of committee during his time with the Dallas Mavericks, and the Pacers had some specific options that were very intriguing.
Isaiah Jackson had long been a solid backup in Indiana, so it was exciting to see what he could do in an expanded role. Jay Huff's skillset is very similar to Turner's, so there were reasons to think he could be successful with the team. Plus, players like James Wiseman and Tony Bradley were expected to have real opportunities to showcase their value.
Nearly three months into the regular season, things have not looked great for Indiana. Jackson has mostly been disappointing this season, Huff had a solid stretch in November and December but has greatly regressed, and Bradley and Wiseman are both off the team. Micah Potter recently joined and looks very solid, but it's hard to imagine that he's going to be a long-term option for the team.
If Indiana wants to re-establish itself as a title contender, it must upgrade its center position. And at this point, the best way for that to happen is via a trade.
So far, the Pacers have been linked to players like Ivica Zubac, Daniel Gafford, and Walker Kessler. All three of these players would be upgrades, but whether they can actually trade for them or not is a different story.
It's unclear how willing the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, and Utah Jazz are to trade their respective big men. Additionally, even if they are, do the Pacers have enough to make a deal happen?
There is also just waiting for the offseason and hoping that more opportunities will open up, which is probably Indiana's best bet. But no matter when it happens, it's obvious that the Pacers need to make a move here if they want to raise their ceiling for when they get Tyrese Haliburton back on the court.