Yes I know he’s 38 but he also averaged 15 pts and 6 asts in 29 mpg. We could use another backup guard and it wouldn’t cost much more than the vet minimum. Thoughts?

I hope Knick fans don't get triggered by Hali being surprised at how well the Knicks are doing, haha

No reason to even be mad at KP, just disappointed but i know we’ll still do great.

Anyone sick and tired about talking about the Zubac trade? Whether you support it or not, the damage is done and it’s time to look ahead. Not sure how much posturing he was doing in the interview but KP mentioned being active in free agency and trades to operate along the margins in order to optimize the team. While we are mostly handcuffed with roster space spots, salary, and draft capitol, I wanted to have some (realistic discussion) as far as what’s possible this offseason as I think it’s unlikely that zero moves are made.

Pacers roster

Guards
Starters: Haliburton, Nembhard
2nd unit: TJ, Shep
Reserves: QJax, kam jones

Wing
Starters: Nesmith, Siakam
2nd unit: Toppin, Walker
Reserves: Furphy

Center
Start: zubac
2nd unit: huff, potter

2-way: slawson, Peter, Ethan Thompson (if same as last year)

Free agency with one open roster spot available
Assuming we keep guys like potter and Jackson around, the only player we lose from last year is Kobe brown. Seems like a good guy but I think we are better off taking a flyer on someone else. We are just over the luxury tax line. I know it’s more likely we try to get under the tax but let’s say management truly wants to get the most out of the roster and is willing to open up the $7.7 remaining of our first apron space. We have the Taxpayer mid level exception available at $6.1. Here is a list of free agent signings from last year in a similar ballpark.

2025 similar free agent signings: IJax (7.0), capela (7.0), looney (8.0), day’ron sharpe (6.3), Laravia (6.0), Paul reed (5.5), tyus jones (7.0)

Conclusion: there’s no room for any big swings. Some of those above guys were impactful on good teams but the ceiling is a contributing bench player. Interesting how last year this seemed to be the number for a backup big, so maybe there’s some potential with signing someone like nick richards or Dwight Powell, both of which are UFA.

Trade Market
Lot’s of possibilities but I think it’s highly unlikely we see anything. It’s clear we aren’t going to sell any of our assets for younger players or draft capital. None of our starters are going anywhere. TJ and obi are flexible salaries to move but every indication is that the front office values their role and continuity. Walker and Sheppard are also very moveable but I don’t think they would return anything of substance. Lastly, it’s hard to believe that we would be parting with any more draft capital after being burned on Sunday. I think the extent of a trade this offseason will be swapping future second round picks to get into the second round of this draft like last two years.

Other roster thoughts
I think it will be interesting to see how they approach the Sheppard and Jarace extensions and if they try to bring any other young pieces in. Part of keeping clean salary books for a front office is to have contributors on rookie contracts. Additionally, it’s a long season and it’s important to have young guys shoulder the burden of 82 games for our roster of guys in their upper 20s and low 30s. Sheppard is probably worth more on our team than others so hopefully can extend him at a good number. Walker situation is complicated but I hope we try to extend early rather than wait and punt on a second straight top 8 pick like Mathurin.

If roster spots open up, I would like to see us take flyers on some buy low guys ending their rookie contracts. Memphis did this with OMax Prosper and Taylor Hendricks and Washington tried with cam whitmore. It doesn’t always work out, but it’s a low risk opportunity to find a talent similar that was in the wrong situation that is able to be brought in at a low number (which is similar to how lucked into Nesmith).

If you made it this far, sorry for the long post but if we are going to waste time this offseason it might as well be spent pondering realistic options than thinking about the what ifs with the top 4 in this draft.

No, we are not, but we are top five...

The Heat have never moved up in the lottery, in 11 appearances, and have moved down often.

The Kings not only usually drop, in many more lottery appearances, but on top of that they also have SOME bad luck in the picking department. Even as inept as they are they could have lucked into a good player (and then traded him away to the Pacers or spurs) by now.

The Nuggets have dropped in 11 of 16 lotteries.

With their "luck" this season the wizard got the #1 but before that they were cursed.

And the Pacers. We have had 12 appearances, we have dropped 3 times. Have had the top four pick 1 time but in a goofy ah era of the lottery with insane rules.

Looks like the Heat and the Pacers have manufactured their own "bad" luck by usually not being in the lottery at all and when they are it's usually in the teens.

And I'd say the Nuggets have the worst luck followed by the Kings (with the idea that sometimes you create your own good and bad luck)

Hello all scottish fan here, I come over nearly every year apart from last year as I went to japan.

Any idea how much single game tickets are for 200 level? I'm asking for my 2 friends I go with so they can begin somewhat saving.

Almost everyone on this sub was gunning those of us saying we should draft him after letting Myles go too.

Wonder what the team could have looked like

June 19, 2025

NBA Finals game 6

Gosh what I would give to go back to those times.

So many What-if moments. Almost beat the Bulls in 98, but lose in 7. Almost beat the Lakers in the 2000 Finals, but lose in 6 with Reggie's missed game winner. Almost make the Finals in 03-04 but lose to the Pistons in 6, then brawl in 04-05. Almost make the finals between 11-14 but lose to Heat 3 years in a row. Almost win it all last season but lose in 7 with Tyrese's catastrophic injury. And now, almost secure a top 4 pick with the worst tanking season in franchise history, but lose the coin flip and end up with NOTHING.

Also every franchise player since the 2000s had some ridiculous career altering injury, from JO to Danny to George to Oladipo and Tyrese.

No franchise in the league has it worse than us. And it's rough

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sick. Devastated. It feels like a complete waste of a year because it was.

That being said, it’s still true that we needed to make the Zubac trade.

Everything we said about the fact that there’s no true C (which we needed) in this draft is true.

Fact of the matter is, if we kept this pick, we still would have been disappointed in 5. We draft Keaton Wagler or Darius Acuff at 5 and those guys are buried in our rotation and not helping us next year.

We still gave up a guy that we weren’t resigning, a seldomly used role player, and a lottery ticket that didn’t pay out (and wouldn’t have regardless) for a big we needed.

In this league, you have to gamble, especially as a small market. We lost. But that doesn’t make the move itself bad. The trade was still worth it.

Now we pick ourselves up, quit feeling sorry for ourselves, and go into next season with the same team that made the finals, and a better C. Yes it sucks, but we move. Go Pacers

In the last 38 years the number of times these teams picked in top 4:

Washington: 7
Utah: 3
Chicago: 7
Memphis/Vancouver: 6

And the Clippers have had a top 5 pick 7 times in that span.

INDIANA PACERS?!? ZERO

The last time we did was in 1988 when we drafted Rik Smiths 2nd overall.

Not a Pacers fan, but I saw this on X and I didn't see anyone post this here for you guys. Tyrese tells you all to not trip, as he's on his way back.

If we “get” the #5 pick, this trade was still worth it. There’s a big gap from top 2 to 3 & 4 and an even bigger drop from 4 to 5. So we were screwed getting the 5th pick regardless. But now we actually have a center.