Taking a closer look at a few of the best and worst offseason moves made by the Indiana Pacers this summer.
The Indiana Pacers concluded the 2022-23 NBA season 10 games out of the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference. However, they were only five games out of a Play-In Tournament slot. With a few offseason additions and some continued internal development, it’s not that outlandish of an idea to say that the Pacers could make a jump this upcoming season to playoff contention in the East.
With the moves that the Pacers have successfully made this summer, is that the next logical step for the team? There’s no way to know that for certain but it’s clear that the Pacers did improve their roster over the last few weeks.
What’s the next step for the Indiana Pacers?
You can’t help but wonder what is next for the young Pacers. The front office has done a great job to build a strong foundation for this team. Heading into 2023-24, the big question is whether or not this team is ready to take a tangible step forward, one that could potentially open the door toward a pathway to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
If they do end up taking that step forward this upcoming season, you’d have to think that a big part of that is due to the moves that were made this offseason. Let’s take a look back at a few of the best and worst moves that were made by the Pacers this summer.
Best offseason moves Indiana Pacers made
The Indiana Pacers did a great job this offseason in continuing to build around the core. Two moves that they should get credit for that we won’t touch on much are the extension given to Tyrese Haliburton and the drafting of Jarace Walker. Those are two underrated moves that will pay dividends down the road for the Pacers.
Trading Chris Duarte
The Pacers trading Chris Duarte was a move that needed to be done. After a disappointing sophomore season, Duarte was in grave danger of getting lost in the shuffle. Getting ahead of that possibility, the Pacers decided to be proactive and traded him to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for two second-round picks. The return wasn’t “great,” especially considering Duarte was the 13th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.
Nevertheless, trading Duarte was probably best for both parties.
Acquiring Obi Toppin
In addition to trading Duarte, the Pacers made a roll-of-the-dice move for Obi Toppin. This might be the best move of the offseason for the Pacers. With a clear need at the power forward position, the Pacers add Toppin as a veteran presence that may end up starting at the 4 on opening night.
Worst offseason moves Indiana Pacers made
The difficulty in taking the next step for any rebuilding team is knowing when and what moves to make in an attempt to break through out of the status quo. That’s exactly what the Indiana Pacers went through this summer. And there were at least two head-scratching moves made by the team.
Not trading Buddy Hield
The first concerning move of the offseason included the Pacers not trading Buddy Hield. With the signing of Bruce Brown and the continued emergence of Bennedict Mathurin, this was probably the right time for a Hield trade. That didn’t exactly happen.
Instead, the decision to not trade Hield will bring about another issue for Indiana, which is linked to another move they made this summer.
Signing Bruce Brown to be a backup
Under the assumption that Mathurin and Hield will be the starters heading into the season, it makes the signing of Bruce Brown that much more confusing. The Pacers are paying Brown $20 million per season to come off the bench? That doesn’t exactly make a ton of sense.
Of course, trading Hield would solve a lot of their problems. Would they do it, that’s the question.