The Indiana Pacers entered the 2023 NBA free agency as a team to watch out for given their abundance in cap space (they could have had even more room had they traded away certain players). Before free agency officially began, they dealt away Chris Duarte to the Sacramento Kings, clearing even more space as they positioned themselves as one of the offseason's major players. What they ended up doing, however, was sign Bruce Brown, the 2023 NBA champion, to a huge two-year, $45 million deal in free agency.

Brown is a winning player, someone who fills so many gaps on both ends of the floor, so many expected him to command a huge contract fresh off his immense contributions during the Denver Nuggets' title run. But did anyone expect the 26-year old wing to sign this huge of a deal — and with the Pacers, no less, a team that was on the outside looking in on the playoffs this past season?

Nevertheless, here are grades for both the Pacers and Bruce Brown as they come to an agreement on one of the biggest deals in the 2023 NBA free agency.

Pacers' grade: B+

At first glance, paying $22.5 million per year for a player of Bruce Brown seems almost sacrilegious. Brown is a good player, and, it should go without saying that he is the textbook definition of a winning player, but is he $22.5 million per year good?

In the right context, perhaps. Brown can guard multiple positions, he excels on the short roll, and during the Nuggets' playoff run, he even displayed an explosive ability to score the ball by virtue of his much-improved outside shot. But is landing with the Pacers the right context for the 6'4 wing? The answer might be yes in fact, even if it comes at a huge cost.

Bruce Brown should fit like a glove with what the Pacers are trying to build. His basketball IQ on both ends of the floor should allow him to flourish next to Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard, while he also gives the Pacers more depth on the wing — which is never a bad thing in today's skilled size-driven NBA.

But what's perhaps most important to the Pacers is that they did not commit too long of a contract to Brown, which certainly dampens the risk in case the on-court fit doesn't work out according to plan. The Pacers are only guaranteed to have Brown's huge contract on the books for just one season. For the 2024-25 campaign, they could jettison Brown if he doesn't pan out in Indianapolis, or pick up his team option in the event that he breaks out in a monster way in what should be a starting role.

At $22.5 million, his contract shouldn't put off too many prospective trade partners as well. So if the Pacers end up falling off the pace once more and fail to make the play-in tournament, they could very well net a solid return for a player contending teams surely covet.

Paying $22.5 million to a player who averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists last season may not be the most ideal allocation of funds at first glance. But the Pacers are trying to build a winning culture once more in Indianapolis, and signing Brown to that short-term, if expensive, deal, allows them to maintain future flexibility while undoubtedly improving their on-court product in the interim.

Bruce Brown's grade: A+

Bruce Brown certainly loved the experience of playing with the Nuggets. After all, he won his first championship with the team while playing a prominent role. Thus, there remained a possibility that he could stay with the Nuggets even if they were limited in what they could offer the 26-year old in free agency ($7.8 million).

Or if Brown decided to sign with another team, plenty of analysts thought that offering him the midlevel exception (worth $12.4 million) could do the trick. Thus, teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and New York Knicks conceivably could have made a run for the versatile wing.

But the contract Brown ended up signing blew every expectation out of the water. At $22.5 million, Brown made nearly thrice as much as he would have had he stayed with the Nuggets, and he made $10 million more had he settled for the midlevel exception.

Sure, signing with the Pacers means that winning two championships in a row would be rather unlikely for Bruce Brown. But given the uncertainties in the NBA, chasing the bag should always be the priority, especially for someone who has already won a title.

Given the power players wield in today's NBA, there's a chance that Brown finds himself back in a contending setting sooner than later anyway, particularly if the Pacers fall short in the playoff hunt once again.