The Pacers should try to get back this player in free agency

The Indiana Pacers were so close to playing in the NBA Finals. They ended up getting swept by the Celtics after leading late in three of the four games. It's clear they have a lot of talent on this team, they just aren't quite talented enough to make that final leap.

This offseason is going to be big for them to close that gap. They weren't quite at full strength for this playoff run after Bennedict Mathurin got hurt mid-season. His return is going to help them. Indiana is also going to offer a boatload of money to Pascal Siakam to get him to return.

If the re-signs, the starting lineup will stay intact. It's a good group of players. While the bench was phenomenal the entire season, the defense from that group was lacking in the playoffs. They need someone who can come in and help boost that up.

The Pacers should bring Bruce Brown back in free agency

A player who could really help them in that regard would be their old buddy Bruce Brown. Brown was their big free agent signing a year ago. His salary was the key to trading for Pascal Siakam midway through the season. He was relegated to the bench in Toronto but is a free agent again.

The Pacers should see if he'd like to be back in Indiana. In certain matchups, he could start over Nembhard in order to give Indiana some more defensive flexibility. That's something they could have used against Boston and New York in particuluar.

Financially, things would be less expensive than they were a year ago. Brown wouldn't expect to be a starter. They might be able to get him to something to the tune of two years for $25 million. If he wants to win another ring and play for the Pacers again, that would be a good deal for both sides.

If another team wants to sign him as a starter, that money won't cut it. He would then become too expensive for the Pacers after the big deal they're going to have to give Siakam. If Kevin Pritchard can find a way to bring him back, he'd be an excellent addition to this team.