One year after missing the NBA playoffs, the Indiana Pacers advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference finals. That ended on Monday when they were swept by the Boston Celtics.
Still, the Pacers were among the league’s biggest surprises in 2023-24. Where do they go from here?
Well, theoretically, they build on what they did by mostly running it back, and like everyone, hoping for good health. But there will be some roster decisions to be made, and that includes one involving forward Pascal Siakam — who became a major reason for the improvement after being acquired from the Toronto Raptors in January.
Siakam is expected to return. But there is not yet any guarantee, as Mark Deeks of HoopsHype wrote.
“Siakam — their All-Star big man, their leading scorer, their big mid-season acquisition and the man who raised both their floor and their ceiling — is destined to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, barring an extension,” Deeks wrote. “And if he does so, he will be one of the best players in a weak market.”
That said, the Pacers likely wouldn’t have traded for Siakam if they thought he might not return. They seemingly are prepared to offer a max extension.
“It does however follow that the Pacers would only have made the move for Siakam were they willing to re-sign him for a high price point, and in all likelihood, the max,” Deeks wrote. “The Raptors did not think that was worth the price of business; Indiana, clearly, does. And were they not confident they could re-sign him, the deal would not have been made either.”
- Meanwhile, forward Obi Toppin is a restricted free agent and while he was a solid and sometimes dynamic sixth man who appeared in all 82 games, he very well could be back on just the qualifying offer — with perhaps “some years attached” to the deal, per Deeks.
- Small forward Doug McDermott is an unrestricted free agent, and it appears he would only be back if he agreed to a minimum deal, or something just above the minimum. Big man Jalen Smith has a player option, and per Deeks, “seems more likely to opt out and walk.”
- Finally, point guard T.J. McConnell is extension-eligible, and as we relayed here, the Phoenix Suns reportedly have him on the radar. Most believe, however, that McConnell will end up right back with Indiana.
- For all of the contract details and scenarios involving the Pacers and their looming offseason, check out the full primer here.
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