With an impressive 33-25 record heading into the All-Star Break, the Indiana Pacers are one of the biggest surprise teams in the NBA this 2017-18 season. However, this upcoming offseason, it shouldn't come as a surprise if the team tries to sign players like Orlando Magic star power forward Aaron Gordon and Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart.
According to longtime NBA writer Sean Deveney of Sporting News, the Pacers are expected to go after Gordon and Smart as restricted free agents this summer in order to help out All-Star shooting guard Victor Oladipo.
“Front-office executives around the league expect that the Pacers will be a player on the restricted free-agent market this summer, where some talented players could be the victims of a league-wide financial squeeze. That would allow Indiana to bring in talent at a reduced cost,” Deveney said. “Aaron Gordon and Marcus Smart are bigger names expected to draw interest from the Pacers, and there could be bargains with the likes of Yogi Ferrell, Montrezl Harrell, and Patrick McCaw.”
Oladipo, who was acquired by Indiana from the Oklahoma City Thunder this past offseason as part of the Paul George trade, is headed to his first All-Star Game this upcoming weekend in Los Angeles.
“I truly believed that I could be a significant attribution to a team,” Oladipo said. “I felt like I had the ability, but I had to put in the work to get that ability out of me.”
He certainly has put in the work, as the 25-year-old guard out of Indiana University is currently averaging a career-high 24.4 points on 48.4 percent shooting from the field, 5.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.0 steals per game in his first season with the Pacers.
If Indiana is able to lure over a free agent or two like Gordon or Smart, the team could potentially do some major damage in the Eastern Conference.
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