With Tyrese Haliburton likely out for all of next season with an Achilles injury, the Indiana Pacers have to address their uncertainty at point guard. No matter what they do, however, they cannot give in to the temptation of signing legendary point guard Chris Paul, who reportedly wants to remain a starter in the league (h/t Tim Reynolds of AP News).
Assuming Reynolds' report is true, the Pacers would be a good team for Paul, especially since he is still a remarkable playmaker and facilitator. However, the future Hall of Famer is well past his prime and can no longer elevate teams like he used to be able to. Signing him would be interesting for the Pacers, but beyond next year (where they are not likely to compete anyway), the Wake Forest alum would not provide much value to the team.
The Pacers have some major questions they need to answer this offseason, and that includes having to decide how they will make up for Haliburton's absence. However, the team must look away from Paul's direction as it is likely going to do more harm than good.
The Pacers have to let their young guys run the show
With next season looking like a gap year for Indiana, they now have a unique opportunity to let their young players show out and display their talents. This includes Andrew Nembhard. By this point, it is no secret that Nembhard is a key part of the Pacers' roster, and he played a big role in the team's latest NBA Finals appearance. However, he hasn't been able to run the point full-time. With Haliburton out, he now has the chance to do exactly that, which could help unlock another level to his game and the Pacers' offensive dynamic.
If the Pacers were to bring Paul into the mix, this would essentially counteract what the team should be looking to accomplish next year. Furthermore, at 40 years old, Paul provides no long-term value to Indiana, unless he were to stick around in a mentorship role. As it stands, though, the 12-time All-Star wants to compete and continue playing a big role on the court, and he would not be able to do that with the Pacers.
In addition to Nembhard, a lot of eyes will be on some of the other intriguing prospects in Indiana, such as Bennedict Mathurin, Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard, and potentially Johnny Furphy. There are reasons to believe the Pacers will still be a solid team next year, especially given how weak the rest of the conference looks. Even so, a second consecutive NBA Finals appearance looks like a pipe dream, and next season should be all about getting the most out of their young players to see who can help them contend in the long haul.
The offseason is still young, and the Pacers remain a team to monitor as they aim to navigate the post-Myles Turner era after he joined the Milwaukee Bucks. Indiana is in a tough position right now, but the future still looks bright. In order for them to get the most out of their young players, however, they need to let them see the court as much as possible. Even bringing in a guy like Paul may make things difficult for them to do so, and that is not a risk worth taking.