The Indiana Pacers drafted Goga Bitadze back in the first round of the 2019 Draft with the 18th overall pick. At the time, it was a strange pick because they had both Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis on the team. The last thing they needed was another center.
Bitadze never really found a steady place in the rotation. He played for three and a half seasons in Indiana. He played in 54 games in his rookie year and never played any more than that. It was tough for him to see any playing time. He had an issue off the court that didn't help either.
Back in the FIBA EuroBasket in 2022, Bitadze punched fellow NBA player Furkman Korkmaz in a tunnel. He was fined for the incident, but that certainly didn't help endear him anymore to the Pacers. They released him in February of 2023. He was picked up by the Magic shortly after that.
Former Pacers player Goga Bitazde gets a big contract from Orlando
After he got picked up by the Magic, he found some playing time in Orlando. He was a free agent this offseason and the Magic wanted him back. He has just signed a three-year deal worth $25 million. Bitazde went from being cut by the Pacers to being paid by the Magic.
Bitazde always showed some flashes of potential when he was in Indiana. He has a nice stroke and he can develop into a good three-point shooter with some work. He's a good rebounder too, which is something the Pacers now lack without him on the roster.
While I think that's a lot of money to commit to someone who wasn't fully in the rotation last year, it's not my money to spend. Perhaps Bitazde will be fully in the rotation moving forward now that he's signed a big deal.
The Pacers still have a couple of moves that they are going to make in the offseason themselves.