The Indiana Pacers had a perplexing offseason. They unexpectedly gave Deandre Ayton an offer sheet, but that didn't pan out.
It was disappointing since an Ayton and Tyrese Haliburton pick-and-roll combo would have looked pretty exciting. To compound things, they also offloaded Malcolm Brogdon to the Boston Celtics.
Despite those things, the Pacers have a wealth of opportunities to provide Haliburton and promising rookie Bennedict Mathurin. Some corners are convinced the Pacers are joining the tanking spree for the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. We're not certain about that, but the Pacers would likely be in a good spot to win next year's No. 1 pick nonetheless.
In spite of the fact they missed out on landing Deandre Ayton, the Pacers still had some silver linings in the offseason. They traded for a first-round pick in the coming draft and signed Mathurin, among others. In the Summer League, the Canadian rookie had a great game and should offer a wing/guard scoring option with playmaking and defensive potential.
The offseason moves might not be over, though, as the Pacers seem to still want to engage in deals involving Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.
Pacers 2022-23 Predictions
3) Tyrese Haliburton is gonna be a stud
There is cause for hope in Indiana now that Tyrese Haliburton is a member of a backcourt that also features star rookie Chris Duarte. Following the Brogdon trade and with Myles Turner up for grabs, these two players are set to be the main building blocks of the Pacers moving forward.
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Haliburton is one of the most intriguing young point guards in the game. He has exploded onto the scene since entering the NBA and showcased exciting playmaking abilities. Haliburton has also been a reliable scorer and perimeter shooter.
Despite what some may view as an unorthodox shooting form, Haliburton did have a 41.2 percent three-point shooting percentage throughout his two seasons. The Iowa State product scored 1.15 PPP as a spot-up shooter for the Indiana Pacers in 67 possessions. Haliburton excels at scoring in transition as well. With Indiana, the 22-year-old put up 1.26 PPP in transition opportunities, which is among the top 25 percent of the league.
In addition, Haliburton excels in pick-and-roll situations. He can both score and create scoring opportunities for teammates. With 628 total assists over the past two seasons, the 2020 draft pick is fifth in the league.
Overall, Haliburton is already a very good player and has space to grow. He has a promising future as a Pacer.
2) Myles Turner will not finish the season in Indiana
One guy who may not have much of a future left in Indiana is Myles Turner. The Pacers placed him on the trading block this offseason. They haven't taken him off yet.
The 2015 first-round pick played his first seven NBA seasons with the Pacers, but rumors surrounding his future with the team have always persisted.
Turner believes that trade rumors surfaced as far back as four years ago, but he's been careful to avoid letting the ambiguity impact his performance.
“Of course, you put a little thought into what it would be like leaving especially with it circulating so much,” he told Mark Haynes earlier this year. “But once I'm in between the lines, all those thoughts go out the window. I'm just out there to hoop.”
Due to a foot injury, Turner played just 43 games in 2021–22. He was placed on the sidelines in the middle of January. After making little headway in his recuperation, however, he was finally declared out for the remainder of the campaign.
Before being hurt, the University of Texas product shot 50.9 percent from the field and averaged 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, and 1.5 three-pointers per game. By all indications, Turner is a solid NBA center, but he may still not have a long-term place in the Pacers' future.
1) The Pacers will finish dead last in the East
Failing to acquire Deandre Ayton and trading away Malcolm Brogdon indicate that they are content to finish last. This is also after posting their worst record in 37 seasons. Keep in mind also that both Buddy Hield and Myles Turner have tradable contracts. They also have highly sought-after skill-sets. Still, it's likely that other dominoes need to fall first. Remember that Hield has two years and $40 million remaining on his deal, and Turner has one year and $18 million.
REPORT: The Lakers and Pacers have discussed a trade that would send Myles Turner and Buddy Hield to the Lakers, and Russell Westbrook and draft compensation to Indiana.
(via @TheSteinLine) pic.twitter.com/p2h8CMq5cz
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 22, 2022
If both Hield and Turner are immovable, though, the Pacers may absolutely continue to use both during the 2022-23 season. That won't change the fact that this year is clearly more about evaluating their young players. They may also be in a strong spot to potentially draft Victor Wembanyama next year.
In any case, this is really Haliburton's team now. He will set the pace along with Bennedict Mathurin. Over the upcoming seasons, both guys should produce a number of highlights. Still, it will probably be some time before the Pacers actually make a lot of noise in the win column. This coming season, in fact, they will likely finish dead last.
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