Just two short years ago, two conference finalists, the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks, made a trade with under a month left before training camp started. The Minnesota Timberwolves sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for a package including Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick that became center Joan Beringer.
While their fans had prepared for the season to start, the front offices made a seismic move that completely blew up their rosters without the appropriate time for follow-up moves. The Pacers could take a similar approach to find the final piece for their championship aspirations.
After all, it worked out pretty well for their longtime rivals.
Just two years later, the Knicks have won a title, and the Wolves made it back to the Western Conference Finals before taking a step back this year and needing to dump Julius Randle in Brooklyn to free up cap space.
The Knicks found a way to solve their biggest issue (the lack of a second real star) deep into the offseason without giving up as much as they might have had to earlier in the summer. As windows close on flexibility and teams are left with fewer suitors, once valuable players see their prices fall.
Using that framework, the Indiana Pacers could follow suit of their cross-conference rivals and fill their biggest holes: their depth and ceiling.
Where the Pacers fall short
The Pacers are a far better team than their 19-win final tally would imply. It was not just Tyrese Haliburton who was missing, although his absence was certainly a major part of this year's failure.
Pascal Siakam missed 20 games. Aaron Nesmith played only 45. The three assumed starters outside of Haliburton who were Pacers to start last season missed 81 games combined. It was dreadful.
To an extent, that could be solved if Indiana faces a non-apocalyptic injury luck instead of whatever happened during a gap year that became gappier by the day. However, why invite the same demons that plagued 2025-26?
No, if the Pacers can find some way to use movable salaries like Obi Toppin's two-year, $30 million deal or TJ McConnell's three-year, $34 million contract, and break that into multiple difference makers, they could find what is now an eight-man roster with very few potential X-factors down the roster.
Additionally, there's also still Jarace Walker and his $8.4 million expiring contract. The former sixth overall pick has failed to break out in Indiana, but there could still be intrigue around a connective forward as a second draft option.
With tools at their disposal, the question then becomes who the Pacers could target.
The New Orleans Pelicans have held on to their pieces far too long, and now could be stuck selling low on one of Herb Jones or Trey Murphy III. At last year's deadline, the Knicks stole Jose Alvarado for a few second-rounders. Why not go back to the Joe Dumars well if you're Indiana?
Maybe Indiana can pry away one of the Milwaukee Bucks' pieces from their return for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Both Jaime Jacquez Jr. and Kel'el Ware would play massive roles at positions of need for the Pacers.
The offseason is practically out of fireworks, but with months before the mid-October tip-off, there's still so much time left to do something.
The Pacers could benefit massively from doing exactly that.
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