INDIANAPOLIS — On today's episode of Locked On Pacers, hosts Tony East and Adam Friedman detail the Indiana Pacers' upcoming offseason, including which free agents the team might bring back, which players could be traded and what other changes to the team's staff could be made.
Which of the four Pacers' free agents could be brought back?
Doug McDermott, T.J. McConnell, JaKarr Sampson, and Cassius Stanley are set to enter free agency for the Pacers this offseason. There are good reasons for the team to bring back any of that quartet of players, but after a disappointing season, it wouldn't be stunning to see the front office move on from any of them.
"[T.J. McConnell] not coming back would hurt the team's bench," East said of McConnell's upcoming free agency.
How will the Pacers manage their other offseason roster moves?
Between Oshae Brissett, Kelan Martin, Edmond Sumner, and various trade avenues, there are other paths the Pacers could take that would allow them to shake up their roster. Some of them could have a large impact on the future of the team.
"To me, there's $14 million out there of players that don't need to be on the roster next year in Jeremy Lamb and Aaron Holiday," Friedman said of the Pacers' strategy when it comes to salaries in trades.
What else do the Pacers have to consider this offseason?
Between coaching turmoil, a lottery pick, a center pairing that has provided mixed results, and a reserve point guard who is struggling, there are a lot of other considerations the Pacers have to make this offseason. Making changes in any of these areas could be the move that upgrades the team dramatically.
"They could take a decent amount of time to evaluate their options at head coach," Friedman explained.