Indiana Pacers have good offseason problems to solve

Source: Tim Heitman / Getty

The offseason is here for the Indiana Pacers after being swept in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Boston Celtics last week.

Indiana wasn’t expected to make it that far into the postseason. The preseason expectations were just making the playoffs and avoiding the play-in tournament. They absolutely shattered those expectations.

There are numerous good problems that Herb Simon (Owner), Kevin Pritchard (President of Basketball Operations), Chad Buchanan (General Manager), and Rick Carlisle (Head Coach) have to address this offseason.

1. What does Pascal Siakam's extension look like?

From the moment that the Pacers traded three first round picks, Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and Kira Lewis for Pascal Siakam and a 2024 second-round pick, NBA insiders have suggested Siakam will remain a Pacer after the season.

The question that has to be on top of mind for the front office is what does the contract look like? Earlier this week The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Pacers are willing to offer Siakam a full-scale maximum contract. The expectation is that contract would be in the neighborhood of 5-years for $247.1M. Siakam would be 35-years-old when that contract expires.

Determining if Siakam is worth all five years and that amount of cash is the biggest topic of discussion this offseason. Indiana can start negotiating with Siakam the day after the NBA Finals concludes.

2. T.J. McConnell extension or trade?

T.J. McConnell is coming off the best season of his nine-year NBA career. It’s hard to believe that McConnell just completed his fifth season with the Pacers. Seems like yesterday he was signing with Indiana after four years with the Philadelphia 76ers. At age 32, McConnell set a career high in points scored. He also had his second best statistical season in assists and field goal percentage.

The former Arizona Wildcat is entering the final year of is four-year $33.6M extension he signed at the end of the 2020 season. On July 6th, McConnell becomes extension eligible. Chad Buchanan said on the Ride with JMV last week that he would love for McConnell to finish his career with the Pacers. The next contract that he signs will more than likely be the final contract McConnell signs, depending on the length. 

A team that had a lot of interest in McConnell’s services at the trade deadline was the Phoenix Suns. With this draft being weak and a lot of teams in need of a veteran, fiery, and energetic backup point guard like McConnell, Indiana could easily land a first round pick for him. With Bronny James in the draft and reportedly only working out with the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix, would they be willing to part with the 22nd pick for McConnell? That decision will come at the mercy of LeBron James most likely. 

In the playoffs, McConnell averaged 11.8 ppg, 5.1 apg, and 3.1 rpg while shooting 48.6% from the field. You can make the argument that his value is at an all-time high right now.

3. Playing Andrew Nembhard at his natural position

In games three and four of the ECF without Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard averaged 28 points, 9.5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2.5 turnovers per game. Nembhard went 22/39 from the field and 7/13 from three-point range during the two games. The former Gonzaga Bulldog has played 35 regular season games without Haliburton. In those 35 games, he averaged 13.4 points, 6.5 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game. 

Obviously, the Pacers are not getting rid of Haliburton to slot Nembhard in the starting lineup. It’s worth mentioning that T.J. McConnell was initially not in the Pacers rotation to start the season because the franchise wanted Nembhard being the backup point guard and running the second unit. The start of Nembhard’s second season was slow because of kidney stones during training camp and then injured his knee during the In-Season Tournament. Those injuries allowed McConnell to prove why he belonged in the rotation and resulted in Nembhard moving into the starting lineup as the second guard. Of course, his defense was part of the reason because of the focus shifting towards the defense after the In-Season Tournament loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

If Indiana wanted to make the 24-year-old available for trade, there would multiple teams that would want his services. The fear Pacer fans should have is that he becomes the next Jalen Brunson. Ironically, both players were second round picks and were coached by Rick Carlisle.

Nembhard will be entering year three of his four year rookie contract when next year starts and it’s clear that he is best fit to play point guard over shooting guard. 

4. Where does Bennedict Mathurin fit?

During the postseason, the national media would talk about the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks missing significant players, but they never mentioned that Indiana was without fourth highest scorer in Bennedict Mathurin. 

In his second season, Mathurin improved his field goal percentage, three-point percentage, assists, and lowered his number of turnovers on a per game basis. His points per game dropped by 2.2 ppg, but that was in large part because he was getting to the free-throw line two fewer times per game. 

Mathurin started in 19 of the 59 games that he played in this season for Indiana. The coaching staff shifted its focus from offense to improving their defense after the in-season tournament championship loss to the Lakers. As a result of that, Mathurin went back to the bench and Andrew Nembhard took his starting spot. If you had to make a starting five with the current roster, is he still the sixth man or is he a solidified starter? 

An argument could be made that if the Pacers retain Siakam, then it could be easier to trade him for a proven wing on a rebuilding team (Mikal Bridges) that can help Indiana improve defensively while being a perfect fit offensively with Tyrese Haliburton. 

5. Finding playing time for Jarace Walker

In the 2023 NBA Draft, the Pacers selected Jarace Walker with the 8th overall pick. The former Houston Cougar appeared in 33 games as a rookie with 29 minutes being the most he played in a game. Walker only played 20+ minutes in six games this season.

The majority of Walker’s season was spent with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. In 13 games, Walker averaged 21 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.8 turnovers, 1.2 blocks, and 1.0 steal per game. He tallied two double-doubles during those thirteen games. The 20-year-old shot 46% from the field, 37.8% from three-point range, and 83.3% from the free-throw line.

There was a lot of optimism that he would be able to crack the rotation consistently going into the season simply because of the lack of wing depth the Pacers had. Toppin, Nesmith, and Mathurin were really the only wings that the Pacers had in a league where every team wants to switch on screens and play positionless basketball. 

Unquestionably there was a lot of learning that Walker needed after just one season at Houston, but to not really factor into the rotation during the season was surprising. Indiana has to figure out what kind of player they have because he has the skills to be a fringe NBA All-Defensive team player with his length, lateral quickness, toughness, and size. 

Indiana could have used a player like Walker in the series against the Boston Celtics because of all the wing players they have like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White. 

6. Is Obi Toppin a luxury or necessity?

There’s no question that Obi Toppin brought energy off the bench with T.J. McConnell because of his highlight dunks and energy. He played in all 82 games for the Pacers this season.

Toppin started the season in the starting lineup and eventually moved to the bench and was a key member of the top bench in the NBA. He set career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, threes, and field goals. In the postseason, he averaged 10.9 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 35.7% from three-point range. 

From the perspective of Toppin, Indiana is one of the few teams that fit his style of play. He didn’t work out in New York simply because of how much they value defense, rebounding, and don’t play a fast pace of play. With Indiana wanting to push the pace, the skills of the 2020 College Basketball Player of the Year were put on display. 

The Pacers can offer Toppin a one-year contract worth $7,744,600 because he’s a restricted free agent. 

7. Determining Myles Turner's future

Myles Turner has been the definition of a professional during his time with the Indiana Pacers. He’s gone through three different rebuilds, three different head coaches, and thousands of trade rumors. 

It would not be surprising if those trade rumors start resurfacing this offseason. The Pacers can’t sign the former Texas Longhorn to a contract extension until next season ends. If the Pacers decide five Pascal Siakam a max contract and have to pay Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, and Ben Sheppard in the future, then can they afford to pay Turner top ten center money?

The 28-year-old just wrapped up one of the best seasons of his career. He played the second most games in his career, scored the second most points per game in his career, tied a career high in threes made, and blocked 140+ shots for the fifth time in his nine year career. Additionally, he was able to finally make it out of the first round of the playoffs since being drafted in 2015.

Depending on the length and numbers, this could be the final time that Turner could cash in with a big contract. Whether or not it’s with the Pacers is the question.