After the 2025 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers left fans with one huge question: What is the team going to do with their center position?
The Pacers walked away with a couple of interesting prospects in the draft: Kam Jones and Taelon Peter. However, both of these players are guards. Indiana will have a lot of needs to address this offseason, including how they will address their uncertainty at the center spot.
Myles Turner is a free agent, and while it seemed like a no-brainer decision for the team to bring him back, they may be in a bit of a pickle following his poor NBA Finals run. Additionally, Thomas Bryant and potentially Tony Bradley (team option) will also be free agents this summer. There is also uncertainty regarding Isaiah Jackson, who missed most of the season due to an Achilles injury and is eligible for restricted free agency this offseason.
It was never going to be possible for the Pacers to complete their offseason during the draft. Even so, they still left fans with more questions than answers in regards to what is next for the team.
It all comes down to Myles Turner for Indiana
The Pacers' plans for center ultimately come down to what happens with Turner. After 10 years in Indiana, Turner is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the jury is still out on what move would be best for the team. On one hand, he has been a key player on the roster for a decade and is a perfect fit in Rick Carlisle's system. However, on the flip side, he played horribly in the NBA Finals when the team needed him most, and it is going to be tough justifying paying whatever his asking price may be.
Whatever Indiana decides to do with the Texas native will likely determine how the rest of their offseason goes. As it stands, it seems that the most likely option is that the Pacers will re-sign Turner this summer, even if it means they will have to pay the luxury tax. If they decide to let him walk, they will have an incredibly difficult time replacing him and finding someone who can stretch the floor and protect the rim as well as he can.
Assuming the Pacers keep Turner around, there are still questions to be had about who his backup will be. Bryant and Bradley both showed out at different times during their tenures with the team, but the Pacers may have a difficult time relying on them as Turner's primary backup throughout the regular season (and especially in the playoffs). As for Jackson, though he is only 23 years old and looked good the last time he played, it remains to be seen how he can bounce back from his Achilles injury.
Indiana will also have to look at the free agent market, but there are not many legitimate big man options for them to pursue. The team did sign Samson Johnson as an undrafted free agent, and he provides some intrigue, but there is probably no world that exists where he gets a big opportunity in Indiana right away.
With the draft now in the rearview mirror, all eyes will be on free agency for the Pacers for now, where fans are hoping their questions will be answered.