Indiana Pacers: 5 goals for the 2018 offseason

4. Kick the tires on Kemba Walker

The last we heard on the situation with Kemba Walker in Charlotte, Michael Jordan was insisting that they’d only move their franchise player for another All-Star. That probably isn’t happening. Walker is entering the last year of his contract and is going to be seeking a huge raise in the offseason. Anyone who makes a play for him would have to be slightly desperate for point guard help and also be able (and willing) to accommodate Walker’s next contract.

Enter Kevin Pritchard. The Pacers’ general manager isn’t going to break the bank (i.e., neither Myles Turner or Domantas Sabonis will be on the table), but he should make a real offer. After all, Indiana is one of the few teams in the league that can offer the Hornets the one thing they really need: cap relief.

In Bojan Bogdanovic, Darren Collison and Jefferson, the Pacers have three players whose $30.5 million in combined salary is only guaranteed for $6.5 million next season. They also hold a $4.3 million team option on Lance Stephenson. Would Indiana think about taking on Nicolas Batum‘s albatross of a contract? If they also threw in the 23rd pick in the draft, it might represent the best offer Charlotte could get for a year of Walker’s services.