The Indiana Pacers are mired in what increasingly looks like a lost 2023-24 campaign, yet league observers believe the front office can still salvage long-term goals by addressing the center position before the season ends.
During an ESPN segment, front-office insider Bobby Marks compared Indiana’s situation to Toronto’s decision last year to trade for Brandon Ingram while sitting at 18-34. The Raptors, Marks noted, made the move to stabilize the roster rather than chase a late playoff push—and quickly secured Ingram on a three-year, $120 million extension.
The Pacers face a similar crossroads. With Tyrese Haliburton recovering from a torn Achilles and a cluster of other injuries, head coach Rick Carlisle has already used 25 different starting lineups, seven more than the club deployed all of last season. Indiana is on pace for one of the worst records in its history.
The hole in the paint
Indiana’s interior issues began when longtime center Myles Turner departed in free agency. Since then, the Pacers have fallen near the bottom of the NBA in offensive rebounds, second-chance points, and points scored in the paint. Finding a reliable presence in the middle is viewed internally as the first step toward stabilizing next year’s rotation.
Why acting now matters
While this season appears to be slipping away, team officials believe the competitive window remains intact. Haliburton is expected back for the 2024-25 opener, and most of the projected 2025 Finals core is already under contract. That timeline suggests retooling—not rebuilding—should be the priority.
History offers a warning: since 2019, Cleveland, Golden State, and Dallas all reached the NBA Finals, then missed the playoffs the following season. Indiana hopes to avoid that fate by addressing roster gaps immediately, starting with a new man in the middle.
Source: Hoops Wire
