By now, everyone on the planet, not to mention a few distant constellations, knows the pacemaker are looking for trade miles turner Y friend shield. Team president Kevin Pritchard won’t take a lousy deal to get away from them — watch the recent from Indiana refusal to make a trade with the Lakerswhat they were offering russell westbrook, one from the first round in 2027 and two from the second round. Pritchard and the Pacers are neither desperate nor stupid.
But now it’s abundantly clear that everyone in the Pacers organization, from owner Herb Simon to the org chart, is ready to proceed with a complete rebuild of a franchise that has fallen by the wayside, due in large part to the spate of injuries. that plague payroll in recent years.
Simon’s point is remarkable. Early last year, before it all came crashing down completely on a 25-57 season, Simon told a group of five local reporters that he “liked my little team” and had no interest in hitting rock bottom before he returned. to build Simon, who is 87, still has no burning desire to go the Oklahoma City route, but over time, he has cleverly come to the conclusion that you can’t tip your toe into a rebuild, there’s to dive headfirst. .
He has been pampered. Donnie Walsh rebuilt teams without going completely to the bottom. Post-Larry Bird Brawl teams weren’t good (the Troy Murphy-Mike Dunleavy era), but they were always reasonably competitive, even if it was to their detriment on draft night, when they were never bad enough to pick among the top nine. .
This time, the Pacers are using a more tested and patient approach.
they negotiated Domantas Sabonis last year in exchange for a franchise point guard, Tyrese Haliburtonwho will quickly establish himself as the team’s best point guard since Mark Jackson.
Buddy Hield averaged 18.2 points in 26 games for the Pacers last season. (Wendell Cruz/USA Today)
they negotiated malcolm brogdonthat he just couldn’t stay healthy.
Leave Warren entering free agency after missing the better part of two seasons with foot problems.
They extended a massive offer sheet to Phoenix center Deandre Ayton, that the Suns matched. (There were attempts to achieve a signature and exchange, but they did not materialize).
Indiana knew Phoenix was likely to call, Pritchard dismissed it as a 70-30 proposition that Phoenix would keep it, but it paid off. And while it wasn’t done for public relations purposes, it did serve to send a message to Indiana fans that the Pacers are ready to be players from now on.
The Pacers finally agreed to the process after years of tentative baby steps toward a rebuild. Not “The Process”, at least as we think of it with the 76ers, who are the poster children for the tank. But the process of getting veteran players out, accumulating cap space and draft assets, doing things the slow, hard … smart way. And hoping, believing, that Pacers fans, some of the smartest in the league, will accept the team’s new direction with patience and enthusiasm.
“Two years ago, we started to change our compass,” Pritchard said. “Two years ago, specifically, in drafting and now we’ve done it in how we acquire players. And we have a unique situation where we have a group of good, young, promising players who will be attractive to free agents next summer. And we’re going to have even more cap space next summer.
“We’re going to be aggressive in getting to market, whether we use our cap space at or before the trade deadline, or let it in next year and have massive room to sign players or trade players.”
However, salary-cap space is risky business, especially when you’re a small-market team that historically isn’t known as a free-agent destination. But cap space brings other benefits, especially when you’re one of the few teams in the league that has room to maneuver. The Pacers can take more value than they give up, they can take on bad contracts from other teams and rack up first-round players. The Pacers are already set to have two first-round picks next season (their own and Boston‘s) and you will get clevelandIt comes first if the Cavaliers do what they’re supposed to do, and they didn’t last year, by one game, and make the playoffs.
The way Pritchard sees it, his team is blessed with several options and the ability to pivot, even once the next season begins.
Let’s just say they surprise us next season; Benedict Mathurin the lights are turned off, Chris Duarte he’s back in shape after hitting the rookie wall and then suffering an injury last season, and the young Pacers are sniffing out the playoffs. (Wacky IMHO, but okay, we’ll play along.) Pritchard can use Turner and Hield (assuming they haven’t been dealt yet) to add a piece and other assets to help them advance to the playoffs. Or they can use some of their early rounds to get immediate help.
Let’s say they fight. Again, you can use Turner/Hield (if they’re still listed) and add draft options.
It’s that word Pritchard likes to use: optionality.
The question then is, now that the Pacers have unsuccessfully pursued Ayton, what will they do with Turner in the short term?
They clearly have to move it. Are you willing to start the season with him on the roster? Yes they are. Is it optimal? No, it is not.
Does anyone really think Turner wants to sign an extension to stay at Indy beyond next season? I do not. Why would he do it, right? I imagine he wants to end up back in Texas. dallas or San Antonio come to mind. And of course, his feelings have been hurt; not only is it a perpetual topic of business talk, but now she has had to sit quietly and watch his team extend an offer sheet to another center.
I will say this about Turner though. He is smart and he is a professional. He has his problems, to be sure: Last year, he told Jared Weiss about the athletic that he was dissatisfied with his role and wanted to be a bigger focus of the offense. But he knows he has to stay healthy and play well if he wants to be paid a nine-figure deal next summer. He wouldn’t be human if there weren’t some hurt feelings, but let’s be honest, he should be used to it by now. Turner has the power to determine his value after the next season; sulking and brooding won’t do him any good, and he’s smart enough to admit it.
As for Hield, the coaches like his veteran presence and work ethic and would be willing to keep him on the roster heading into next season, but they’ll eventually trade him. He’s 29, he’s making a lot of money — if the Pacers can get decent value for him, they’ll do that deal tomorrow.
So stay tuned.
The Pacers are prepared to turn this franchise upside down. And it was time.
(Top photo by Myles Turner: David Butler II/USA Today)