3. Tobias Harris
When you look at Indiana’s needs for next season, you see three big needs. A proven point guard, a talented wing player and a veteran star to lead the team. Tobias Harris takes care of two of those things. Harris is one of the more versatile free agents on the market this offseason. His most comfortable position is small forward, which would fill the hole Indiana has at that position. He would also give the Pacers some flexibility with their lineups.
Harris also gives the team that veteran who can still play at a high level. While he may not be as big of a name as Kevin Durant or Kawhi Leonard, he is not a player to take lightly. Harris is coming off of a 20 point, 8 rebound, three assist season – and at 26 years old he is in that sweet spot of an NBA veteran who still has room to improve.
The Pacers seem to be a team who will be making the playoffs for the next few seasons if they play their cards right. Harris is a player who has played key minutes in the playoffs. Granted, he doesn’t have the same playoff experience as some of the other free agents, but on a young team like Indiana, any experience will help.
Much like Middleton, Harris has never really been “the guy” before. He’s made a career off of being possibly the league’s best role player. Perhaps Harris decides it’s time for him to take his talents to a team who may not have a superstar since it’s unclear if Oladipo can match his growing success after the injury. Either way, Indiana and Harris make a great fit.