After re-signing James Johnson last week, the Indiana Pacers have officially filled their last roster spot. Though there is still plenty of offseason left, barring a trade or any other major move, the Pacers roster looks to be set for the 2024-25 season.
Overall, the team does not look drastically different than their Eastern Conference Finals team from last season. They lost and added a few players, but the bulk of their roster is more or less the same as it was last season.
This summer, Indiana re-signed Pascal Siakam, Obi Toppin, and Johnson. Furthermore, they gave Andrew Nembhard a contract extension and brought Quenton Jackson back on a two-way contract. As for new faces, the Pacers drafted Johnny Furphy and Tristen Newton while bringing in big man James Wiseman.
On the flip side, the Pacers will be without a few players from last year's roster. Most notably, Jalen Smith joined the Chicago Bulls as a free agent. Additionally, Doug McDermott is still a free agent but is unlikely to rejoin the Pacers as they do not have a spot remaining on the roster.
With the team's lack of major moves, it seems the Pacers are willing to run it back again next season with essentially the same roster. Regardless, here is the current depth chart for the Pacers for the 2024-25 season.
Projected 2024-25 Indiana Pacers depth chart
Point Guard: Tyrese Haliburton, T.J. McConnell, Tristen Newton (two-way)
Shooting Guard: Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard, Johnny Furphy, Kendall Brown, Quenton Jackson (two-way)
Small Forward: Aaron Nesmith, Bennedict Mathurin, James Johnson, Cole Swider
Power Forward: Pascal Siakam, Obi Toppin, Jarace Walker, Enrique Freeman (potential two-way)
Center: Myles Turner, Isaiah Jackson, James Wiseman
*bold = starter
we've been busy this summer 😎 pic.twitter.com/HQVNsBav8x
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) July 28, 2024
On paper, this should be what the Pacers depth chart looks like heading into next season. The team did not make any major moves, but they brought back the core that led them to their most successful season since 2014.
The Pacers are an incredibly young team who gained a lot of experience after last season's playoff run. It seems the Pacers are hoping for a lot of internal development to remain in playoff contention next season. Whether it was the right call or not remains to be seen. Regardless, the Pacers should be an excting team to watch again next season as they aim to make another deep playoff run.