8 points, 9 seconds
Fansided

It's time for the Indiana Pacers to pay into the luxury tax next season

The Pacers are historically one of the most frugal franchises in the NBA. Next year, they need to dip into the luxury tax to keep a great team competitive.

By Ryan Stano

May 21, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) dribbles the ball against Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) in overtime for game one of the eastern conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
May 21, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) dribbles the ball against Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) in overtime for game one of the eastern conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports / Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

The Indiana Pacers have been one of the most competitive NBA franchises over the last 40 years. They rarely sink into the lottery. In fact, they've never had the number one overall pick. Most years, they are in the playoffs and advancing a round or two.

Despite this, the Pacers have never won an NBA title. Part of the reason is how frugal they have been with money. One of the most famous recent examples of this was when Herb Simon decided not to pursue Anthony Davis and team him up with Paul George despite Davis wanting to come to Indiana. Simon didn't want to go over the luxury tax with a contract extension for him.

This year's Indiana Pacers exceeded expectations. They made the Eastern Conference Finals and if not for some coaching errors late, they could still be playing right now. This is a team that deserves some investment from ownership to get them over the hump.

It's time the Pacers paid into the luxury tax

Since the luxury tax was instituted in 2005, the Pacers have only paid into it three times. They are about to offer a max deal to Pascal Siakam. Tyrese Haliburton's contract gave him a supermax extension kicker once he made Third-team All-NBA. Those are two expensive pieces.

Still, the Pacers need to spend more. They need a reliable defender on the wing who can switch on defense and make threes on offense. Getting a backup center who can actually rebound might be a good investment too. In order to get those things, Indiana needs to spend money.

If they want to bring back most of their team from this season, that won't be cheap either. Obi Toppin played the best year of his career and will be a free agent. He won't be cheap to bring back. T.J. McConnell and Andrew Nembhard are up for extensions too. This team is going to cost money to keep together.

manual

If Simon ever wants the Pacers to win an NBA title, he's going to need to spend more money. He doesn't need to get past the first apron in the tax, but he needs to get close to that threshold.

Home/Pacers Free Agency