The Indiana Pacers can't cheap out and trade a young piece this season. They are worried about their spending, but they don't want a fan revolt on their hands. Indiana is good enough to win the East (though maybe not next season) and must keep a competitive team around Tyrese Haliburton when he returns.
Things look relatively bleak in Indiana for next season. In addition to being without Haliburton for an entire season, they will have to navigate through life without Myles Turner after he joined the Milwaukee Bucks as a free agent. Even so, they still have a bright future and a good long-term outlook, and it is crucial that they construct a roster best suited to compete for a championship, even if it means breaking the bank a little more than the front office may want.
The Pacers must be okay with spending big to remain contenders
Indiana has not paid the luxury tax in two decades, and it may be a while before they do.
On the surface, this is a good move, especially since they have proven they can compete for a championship without having a high payroll. However, if the Pacers need to cross this threshold in order to keep their core together and bolster the rest of their roster, then that is how it has to be.
In order to be long-term championship contenders in the NBA, teams need to at least be open to spending big, regardless of whether they actually need to do it or not. It is incredibly rare for teams to regularly be in the title picture without having a high payroll. As it stands, it seems like the Pacers will have to make a decision on this dilemma down the line, though it is safe to say there is really just one answer to it anyway.
The Pacers will have a lot of contract decisions to make coming up. Bennedict Mathurin is eligible for a contract extension this offseason (though it is not likely that he gets it), and most of their top players will be due for a new contract within the next few years.
As it stands, the Pacers are in a good situation. Even if it doesn't look great for them next season, they still have a lot going for them. They just signed head coach Rick Carlisle to a contract extension, and they also have one of the best front offices in the NBA. Furthermore, they still have a young and talented team who have already proven that they can go head-to-head with some of the best teams around the league.
Indiana is built to be a serious title contender for the foreseeable future, but it is crucial that they make the right decisions from here on out in order to maximize their window. The Pacers have done a great job over the past couple of years to put themselves into this position. However, what they do from here on out will determine exactly what their ceiling truly is.