The Indiana Pacers reached the Eastern Conference Finals and played Boston tight despite being swept. They already checked off the biggest box this offseason by re-signing Pascal Siakam to a long-term deal, but more work needs to be done.
Check out my ideal offseason for the Pacers, which includes extensions, a depth-driven draft, and a key free agency signing.
Extend Andrew Nembhard and TJ McConnell
The first order of business for Indiana is to extend Andrew Nembhard and TJ McConnell.
Against Boston’s hyper-elite defense, Nembhard averaged 21 points and 7.8 assists per game while shooting the lights out. He possesses tantalizing two-way upside and is the perfect backcourt partner for Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers must avoid replicating Dallas’ failures with Jalen Brunson, so acting now despite Nembhard having two years left on his rookie deal is advised.
The Gonzaga product can sign up to a four year, $78M extension this offseason ($19.5M average annual value), and Indiana should happily oblige. They would decline his 2026 team option on the rookie contract, so Nembhard’s extension begins once next offseason hits. It’s likely that the contract becomes a complete bargain for the Pacers, especially with the salary cap expected to considerably jump in the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, McConnell remains an excellent backup point guard who chips in roughly 10 points and five assists per game. He’s a defensive pest and locker room leader too. McConnell’s contract expires next offseason, so the Pacers should extend the 32-year-old and block him from hitting the open market.
Given his age, a four year, $44M contract seems reasonable for both sides.
Draft Point Guard & Center Depth
Indiana owns three second round picks in the 2024 Draft (36th, 49th, 50th).
Ajay Mitchell (36th)
The Pacers round out their point guard rotation by selecting Ajay Mitchell with the 36th pick. He ranked in the 90th percentile for pick-and-roll ball handler points per possession according to Synergy Sports, which bodes well for an Indiana offense that heavily features this action.
Mitchell is a crafty, patient scorer with the chops to produce at all three levels. The UC Santa Barbara guard excelled around the rim, displayed nice midrange touch, and shot 39.3% from 3-point range on 84 attempts. It’s fair to speculate whether this season was an outlier after two previous years of poor 3-point shooting. However, Mitchell’s release looks solid, and he went 157-for-183 from the free throw line (85.8%) – a great sign.
He’s more of a score-first point guard or even perhaps a combo guard, but NBA-level playmaking is in Mitchell’s repertoire. Finding the roller or kicking out to the corners represent his best passing features.
Mitchell’s overall profile shares traits with Nembhard, who would be an excellent mentor.
At 6’4” tall with a 6’6” wingspan, the 21-year-old has quality point guard size too and can just get by as a shooting guard. Indiana subsequently possesses flexibility in terms of guard combinations that work with him.
Now, his subpar burst and athleticism raise legit questions about Mitchell’s ability to get to the rim and defensive ceiling. The scoring and playmaking upsides are too great to pass up at 36th though. He would fit Indiana’s system well and potentially contribute immediately.
Adem Bona (49th)
Although Adem Bona is undersized for a center at only 6’9” tall, there’s a lot to like about his game for Indiana. The UCLA product hoofs it in transition, finishes strong through contact around the rim, and occasionally bails out broken possessions with post-ups. His non-existent scoring outside of the paint and turnovers are significant hurdles, but Bona can provide value to this fast-paced Pacers offense.
Meanwhile, he earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors this season. Bona compensates for his height disadvantage through his 7’3” wingspan and 40” vertical leap. Plus, his smaller stature promotes switchability and versatility, which has become key for NBA centers.
Oso Ighodaro (50th)
The Marquette forward-center hybrid measures 6’10” tall with a 39” vertical. Ighodaro is an extremely smart player, and it shows in his superb passing and court vision. He will be able to orchestrate dribble-handoffs at the NBA level and thread tight windows to find backdoor cutters.
Along with excellent passing chops, Ighodaro is a strong roller and cutter who plays above the rim. He lacks a jump shot, but his off-ball movement, screening and connective playmaking should keep him effective on the court. The short roll will especially be an area where Ighodaro thrives for Indiana’s offense.
Defensively, he can force turnovers, hold his own when protecting the rim, and survive outside the paint.
Sign A Defensive Wing
Jalen Smith has a $5M player option, and many teams will pursue the young stretch-five. The Pacers prioritized Isaiah Jackson over Smith this postseason, so they should operate under the assumption that Smith is gone. Additionally, letting Obi Toppin walk is wise because of his poor defense, projected contract size and Jarace Walker's need for minutes.
Indiana owns zero cap space, but they can use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (NTMLE) to sign a quality role player in free agency. This exception allows up to a four year deal to be signed, and the first season salary has a maximum of $12,859,000. It’s worth noting that it hard caps them at the first apron for the 2025 season.
They evoke the NTMLE and sign Naji Marshall to a four year, $40M deal ($10M average annual value).
Marshall possesses the foot-speed and anticipation to comfortably defend bigger guards. Although he only stands 6’6” tall, his sturdy frame and 7’1” wingspan also let him mark forwards at a high level too.
The veteran held opponents to a mere 0.622 points per possession in isolation this season, which was in the 95th percentile via Synergy Sports. Essentially, the former Pelican can guard 2-4 and provide plenty of defensive role versatility.
On the other end, he shot 39.5% on catch-and-shoot looks from 3-point territory this year. Marshall offers little beyond spot-up shooting, but the fact that he spaces the court means opponents cannot treat him like a liability and sag off.
Overall, the Pacers snag a strong 3&D wing, which was a definite need entering the offseason. Marshall gives them an Aaron Nesmith backup, and Indiana can also seamlessly play them together in order to boost defensive resilience without compromising spacing. At 26-years-old, he fits the timeline too.
Future Outlook
After these moves, the Pacers would be roughly $6M below the luxury tax, $13M below the first apron, and feature the following depth chart:
- Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner
- TJ McConnell, Bennedict Mathurin, Naji Marshall, Jarace Walker, Isaiah Jackson
- Ajay Mitchell, Ben Sheppard, Kendall Brown, Oso Ighodaro, Adem Bona
The offense will once again be electric and enough to make another deep run, but the defensive upgrades could push them even further. This team is well-rounded with plenty of room for internal growth. They would arguably be the second best team in the East and top four at a minimum.
