Indiana Pacers have good offseason problems to solve Written by Eddie Garrison Published on June 3, 2024 Share Indiana Pacers v Dallas Mavericks Source: Tim Heitman / Getty The offseason is here for the Indiana Pacers after being swept in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Boston Celtics last week. Indiana wasn’t expected to make it that far into the postseason. The preseason expectations were just making the playoffs and avoiding the play-in tournament. They absolutely shattered those expectations. There are numerous good problems that Herb Simon (Owner), Kevin Pritchard (President of Basketball Operations), Chad Buchanan (General Manager), and Rick Carlisle (Head Coach) have to address this offseason. 1. What does Pascal Siakam’s extension look like? Indiana Pacers v Dallas Mavericks Source:Getty From the moment that the Pacers traded three first round picks, Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and Kira Lewis for Pascal Siakam and a 2024 second-round pick, NBA insiders have suggested Siakam will remain a Pacer after the season. The question that has to be on top of mind for the front office is what does the contract look like? Earlier this week The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Pacers are willing to offer Siakam a full-scale maximum contract. The expectation is that contract would be in the neighborhood of 5-years for $247.1M. Siakam would be 35-years-old when that contract expires. Determining if Siakam is worth all five years and that amount of cash is the biggest topic of discussion this offseason. Indiana can start negotiating with Siakam the day after the NBA Finals concludes. 2. T.J. McConnell extension or trade? Boston Celtics v Indiana Pacers – Game Three Source:Getty T.J. McConnell is coming off the best season of his nine-year NBA career. It’s hard to believe that McConnell just completed his fifth season with the Pacers. Seems like yesterday he was signing with Indiana after four years with the Philadelphia 76ers. At age 32, McConnell set a career high in points scored. He also had his second best statistical season in assists and field goal percentage. The former Arizona Wildcat is entering the final year of is four-year $33.6M extension he signed at the end of the 2020 season. On July 6th, McConnell becomes extension eligible. Chad Buchanan said on the Ride with JMV last week that he would love for McConnell to finish his career with the Pacers. The next contract that he signs will more than likely be the final contract McConnell signs, depending on the length. A team that had a lot of interest in McConnell’s services at the trade deadline was the Phoenix Suns. With this draft being weak and a lot of teams in need of a veteran, fiery, and energetic backup point guard like McConnell, Indiana could easily land a first round pick for him. With Bronny James in the draft and reportedly only working out with the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix, would they be willing to part with the 22nd pick for McConnell? That decision will come at the mercy of LeBron James most likely. In the playoffs, McConnell averaged 11.8 ppg, 5.1 apg, and 3.1 rpg while shooting 48.6% from the field. You can make the argument that his value is at an all-time high right now. 3. Playing Andrew Nembhard at his natural position Boston Celtics v Indiana Pacers – Game Four Source:Getty In games three and four of the ECF without Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard averaged 28 points, 9.5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2.5 turnovers per game. Nembhard went 22/39 from the field and 7/13 from three-point range during the two games. The former Gonzaga Bulldog has played 35 regular season games without Haliburton. In those 35 games, he averaged 13.4 points, 6.5 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game. Obviously, the Pacers are not getting rid of Haliburton to slot Nembhard in the starting lineup. It’s worth mentioning that T.J. McConnell was initially not in the Pacers rotation to start the season because the franchise wanted Nembhard being the backup point guard and running the second unit. The start of Nembhard’s second season was slow because of kidney stones during training camp and then injured his knee during the In-Season Tournament. Those injuries allowed McConnell to prove why he belonged in the rotation and resulted in Nembhard moving into the starting lineup as the second guard. Of course, his defense was part of the reason because of the focus shifting towards the defense after the In-Season Tournament loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. If Indiana wanted to make the 24-year-old available for trade, there would multiple teams that would want his services. The fear Pacer fans should have is that he becomes the next Jalen Brunson. Ironically, both players were second round picks and were coached by Rick Carlisle. Nembhard will be entering year three of his four year rookie contract when next year starts and it’s clear that he is best fit to play point guard over shooting guard. 4. Where does Bennedict Mathurin fit? Detroit Pistons v Indiana Pacers Source:Getty During the postseason, the national media would talk about the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks missing significant players, but they never mentioned that Indiana was without fourth highest scorer in Bennedict Mathurin. In his second season, Mathurin improved his field goal percentage, three-point percentage, assists, and lowered his number of turnovers on a per game basis. His points per game dropped by 2.2 ppg, but that was in large part because he was getting to the free-throw line two fewer times per game. Mathurin started in 19 of the 59 games that he played in this season for Indiana. The coaching staff shifted its focus from offense to improving their defense after the in-season tournament championship loss to the Lakers. As a result of that, Mathurin went back to the bench and Andrew Nembhard took his starting spot. If you had to make a starting five with the current roster, is he still the sixth man or is he a solidified starter? An argument could be made that if the Pacers retain Siakam, then it could be easier to trade him for a proven wing on a rebuilding team (Mikal Bridges) that can help Indiana improve defensively while being a perfect fit offensively with Tyrese Haliburton. 5. Finding playing time for Jarace Walker
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