Pacers free agency options within the Central division
By Scott Conrad
With the NBA Draft approaching, so is free agency. This summer, player movement should be frantic as many veterans are looking for a new place to call home.
Though the Pacers facilitated most of their moves last off-season via trade, they may look to round their roster out. Any signing Indiana takes on will most likely be to strengthen the NBA's highest-scoring bench squad.
The Indiana Pacers second unit was the best in the business by leading the league in total points scored and assists made per game. Head Coach Rick Carlisle will surely welcome any journeyman looking to be a part of another deep playoff run in the Eastern Conference.
Alas, we take a look at three players from each division of the NBA that could be inserted nicely with the current rotation. First up, is the Pacers' own division, the Central.
1. Jae Crowder
Coincidentally, Jae Crowder's first two teams just played each other in this year's NBA Finals: the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics. In fact, Indiana got a look at the twelve-year vet in their first-round upset of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Crowder has spent the past two years playing in a limited role for the Bucks. After playing his lone season in Miami and appearing in the 2020 NBA Finals during the Covid bubble, the former Marquette standout would return to the Championship with the Phoenix Suns.
If signed by Indiana, this would be Crowder's ninth different NBA team. Though he will be 34 years old when the NBA starts, he is a capable of providing a punch to the second unit. His career marks are close to 10 points a game while shooting nearly 35% from behind the arc.
Despite being only 6'6'', Crowder has held his own in the post while helping his offense spread the floor. This is the style that Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and the company thrive on.
He made less than $3.2 million last year. Surely, he would make a nice one-year acquisition for the Pacers if they were to reach out. For about $1.5-2.25 million, Crowder's services could enlisted by Indiana.