Indiana Pacers: 3 players not likely to return in 2020-21
3. T.J. Leaf
The Pacers have stumbled on a few gems in the NBA Draft in recent years. Sadly, T.J. Leaf would go directly into the “Bust” category.
Indiana selected the power forward with the 18th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and the UCLA alum immediately carved out a role in the rotation, playing in 53 games during his rookie season and averaging 2.9 points per game. The following season, he played in 58 games, but didn’t see a big improvement in his stats, averaging just 3.9 points per game.
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In his third season, the Pacers were expected to finally see a return on their first-round investment. That didn’t happen, though. He is averaging just 2.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. Leaf has been hanging on the periphery of Nate McMillan’s rotation since the end of February, averaging just 7.7 minutes per game. In fact, he’s only played in four games since the calendar turned to January.
At the beginning of this season, the Pacers exercised their fourth-year option on Leaf, keeping him with the team through the 2020-21 season at approximately $4.33 million. The only way the team will be able to move from him this offseason will be to trade him.
That was reportedly a consideration at the trade deadline in February. It will be a consideration again after the season if the team can find a taker for Leaf.