The Indiana Pacers are in the playoffs and are focused on taking down the Milwaukee Bucks. It's a tough first-round matchup for them against a team that they don't like. That's commanding all of the focus of the players right now, as it should. The playoffs are what matters.
Meanwhile, the front office is looking at ways to improve the team next season. They are more focused on identifying players who can come in and help them be even better without messing up the chemistry that they already have built with the current roster.
One of the things that the Pacers could use is better three-point shooting off the bench. That's why they traded for Doug McDermott. The problem is that he's not even remotely a good defender. That limits the amount of time he can play. Could Klay Thompson be someone that fits that mold?
Reasons why the Indiana Pacers should consider signing Klay Thompson
Thompson's season ended with quite a dud on Tuesday night against the Kings. He was 0-10 from the field in Sacramento. He is 34 years old and clearly doesn't move the same as he did before he tore his ACL and Achilles in consecutive years. His defense isn't quite the same.
Yet, that's not what the Pacers would be signing him for. They would just want him to come off the bench and drain threes. He still averaged 17.9 points per game and shot 38.7% from three with the Warriors this season. He spent half of the year coming off the bench.
Thompson becomes a free agent at the end of the year. He is going to have to take a pay cut whether he stays in Golden State or not. The Pacers could offer him a two-year deal worth $36 million or something like that. That would be a fair deal for someone at the end of their career.
Perhaps the biggest case to sign Thompson would be to get a veteran guy in the locker room with championship experience to help a young team learn what it takes to win. His mentorship could do wonders for the young Pacers core.
We'll see if this is something the Pacers want to pursue once the season ends.