Over the years, the Indiana Pacers have signed a number of free agents. This summer, they did so with two of their own big men, Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin. They also brought on a new player, James Wiseman.
It is a bit of a gamble when luring talent to join a new squad. However, in many instances, the Pacers have walked away feeling like winners. Here is a list of some of the best free-agent signings by the Indiana Pacers in recent years.
5. Malcolm Brogdon
After three great years with the Milwaukee Bucks to start his NBA career, this point guard came to the Pacers in the summer of 2019. Through a sign-and-trade, Brogdon made his way to Indiana.
The former Rookie of the Year (2016-2017) had some of the best numbers in his career as a Pacer. His role became bigger with his new team as Brogdon was accustomed to coming off the bench. While playing for Indiana, he became the starting point guard.
Despite never appearing in more than 60 games in either of his three seasons as a Pacer, Brogdon averaged about 18.9 points a game and 6.3 assists during his tenure playing for Indiana. While his free throw percentage dipped in each of those three years, his turnovers did, too.
The combination of athleticism and leadership that Brodgon developed as a member of the Indiana Pacers helped them qualify for the playoffs in the 2019-2020 season. The second-round pick averaged 21.5 points and 10 assists during the four games of the first-round exit that postseason.
His contract was a four-year deal for about $85 million. Brogdon would finish the last year of this contract as a member of the Boston Celtics. The trade that took him there netted the Pacers a current player, Aaron Nesmith, among other names.
4. Bojan Bogdanovic
The small forward from Croatia signed with the Indiana Pacers on July 10, 2017. He would only be a member of the team for two years. His durability did not go unnoticed as he only missed three games in those seasons.
Bogdanovic's scoring, assists, rebounds and steals went up in the second season as a Pacer. His field goal and his three-point shooting percentages also went up but his free throw percentage took a dip. At the time, his last year with the Pacers (2018-2019) would be his highest-scoring season, averaging 18 points a game while shooting 49.7% from the floor.
On February 11, 2019, Bogdanovic won his first honor by being named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. He scored 31 points in a win against the Miami Heat and 29 more points in another victory over the Los Angeles Clippers to help wrap up that honor.
In both seasons with the Indiana Pacers, the team never made it out of the first round of the playoffs. Bogdanovic had a much stronger presence in his second postseason with his second team in the NBA. He went from scoring 12.4 points a game to 18 in the playoffs the next year.
He would eventually leave the Pacers the same way they found him, as a free agent. A four-year deal worth $73 million enticed Bogdanovic to leave for the Utah Jazz.