The Indiana Pacers have a chance to clear some cap space and shop the 2019 free agency market. Here’s who could fit with the current team if the summer goes well.
For the Indiana Pacers, a first round exit from the playoffs for the fourth straight year isn’t the ideal finish to their 2018-19 season. The team has a lot to consider this offseason, including the recovery of Victor Oladipo, a potential starting job for Domantas Sabonis, and that nearly half of their lineup is approaching a contract year.
With the expiring contracts of Thaddeus Young, Bojan Bogdanovic, Tyreke Evans, Darren Collison, Kyle O’Quinn and Cory Joseph, the team has about $60 million worth of cap space. Conveniently, the summer of 2019 has a wealth of free agents to pick from. Indiana has never been the most attractive destination, but with a few tactical chess moves, this team could make significant strides this offseason toward returning in the fall as a new and improved team.
It’s likely that the Pacers organization will still try to get talks with the premier superstar free agents of the league. The most urgent need for Indiana this summer is scoring, and there are a plethora of shooters and scorers that Indiana can scoop up for a non-superstar price. Dipo and Bogdanovic shouldered the load on offense this year, but this team needs another, more versatile weapon to reach the next level.
Automatic bucket for @VicOladipo https://t.co/jpVEz1GhG8
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 15, 2018
The landscape of the NBA in 2019-20 will undoubtedly be different come October. Here’s who the Indiana Pacers should target to change their imprint on the Eastern Conference through free agency.