Earlier this month, a report from Ian Begley of SNY stated that the Indiana Pacers were very high on D'Angelo Russell. Since then, talk has quieted down, with chatter mainly surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers as a destination, but the Pacers should absolutely pursue Russell as a signing when free agency opens up on Sunday.

Russell is coming off of a breakout season with the Brooklyn Nets in which he averaged 21.1 points, seven assists and 3.9 rebounds over 30.2 minutes per game. Yes, his efficiency left much to be desired, but on a better team, that might look different.

The Pacers won 48 games this past year and certainly would have won more had Victor Oladipo not gone down with a quad tear in late January.

Now, Indiana is entering free agency with max cap space, so it can make a big move this summer.

Here are three reasons why Russell would be a great fit:

3. He Fits the Timeline

While the Pacers are really good, they are also really young. Oladipo is the “veteran” at 27 years old, but supporting pieces such as Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis are just 23.

With Russell also being 23 years old, he would it in perfectly with this young group, and the four players would be able to come up together and build something that can last for an extended period.

Obviously, nothing is ever permanent in today's NBA, as stars regularly leave their teams, but Indiana would have a chance to create something special with a group that includes Oladipo, Turner, Sabonis and Russell.

It's not like the Pacers have any bad contracts to worry about, either, so they would be able to maintain this core for quite some time.

2. He is a Much-Needed Secondary Scorer

One issue the Pacers have even with a healthy Oladipo is that they don't really have a real No. 2 guy.

Bojan Bogdanovic played that role this season, and while he had a really good year and is certainly a fine player, he is not the guy you want as your No. 2 option. Turner is terrific, but he isn't a big-time scorer, and Sabonis is a nice fourth or fifth option rather than a No. 2.

Russell would immediately step in as Indiana's secondary scorer behind Oladipo and would make Oladipo's job a heck of a lot easier, as either player could handle the ball and run the offense.

A backcourt of Oladipo and Russell would definitely be among the best in the league.

1. Crunchtime

Opponents generally know what the Pacers are going to do in crunchtime. The ball is going to be in Oladipo's hands, and he is either going to try to get to the basket or dish to his teammates on the perimeter for three-pointers.

But if Indiana adds Russell, it would bring another dynamic to the table, as defenses would now have to worry about both Oladipo and Russell late in games and would be thrown off balance as a result.

Again, either player can handle the ball, which would throw different looks at opponents and allow either guy to make backdoor cuts and/or attract defensive attention to open up the other.

This would not only make the life of Oladipo much more manageable, but it would also free up guys like Turner or Sabonis for easier looks under the basket (and the perimeter in Turner's case).

Having to defend a two-headed monster of Oladipo and Russell in the fourth quarter would be one heck of a task.