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Pacers make 2 big moves as NBA moratorium lifts

The announcement of Tyrese Haliburton's max extension came on the same day Indiana introduced guard Bruce Brown Jr., who agreed to a two-year deal worth $45 million.

INDIANAPOLIS — It's been a busy offseason for the Indiana Pacers

As the NBA moratorium lifted, the franchise announced two additional moves bolstering this team for the future. Indiana announced officially the signing of free agent Bruce Brown and the five-year $260 million maximum extension for Tyrese Haliburton.

It’s one of the largest moves for the Pacers franchise, and it’s made in-house. The 23-year-old Haliburton has established himself as the Pacers' franchise player, and now he's locked up for the next six seasons in blue and gold.

"I think the biggest thing for me is that this organization values me a lot, and that means the world to me," Haliburton said. "The only way I can reciprocate that love is to be the best and squeeze every ounce of ability that I have to put into this organization and into this game. I'm really excited about it and am really looking forward to the future."

"Sometimes in this business, you get great players. Sometimes, you get great humans. Sometimes, you get both, and we have that in Ty," Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said.

"He has changed the trajectory of this organization. This is a beginning," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. "He wants the responsibility of being a great player and leading this organization."

Credit: WTHR
Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle (left) and president of basketball operations (right) with guard Tyrese Haliburton.

Part of that future means surrounding Haliburton with talented players. The Pacers made the two-year, $45 million free agent signing of Brown official on Thursday as well. Fresh off an NBA championship with the Nuggets, the 26-year-old said it was the way this Pacers franchise is trending that made signing in Indy so attractive

"Just the way they play. Obviously, they were first in transition. That's how I love to play, I like to get out, score, and just have fun — throw lobs," Brown said. "Then on defense, they need somebody to guard the best offensive player, and I think I can fit that. We're here to win and win now, so it should be a good year for us."

Credit: AP
Denver Nuggets forward Bruce Brown against the Miami Heat during the second half of Game 5 of basketball's NBA Finals, Monday, June 12, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

"To keep bringing up your competitiveness quotient is something that is always going to help your team," Carlisle said. "In Bruce Brown's case, he's a competitive guy who is very unselfish and has been a guy who kind of just gets the job done. He's always enthusiastic about taking on tough challenges defensively, doing dirty work, and our fans are going to love him."

Talk is cheap, but proof of concept is there for Indiana. The team improved by 10 wins last year. They added a position of need in Jarace Walker in this year's NBA draft. Now, by signing Brown and locking up their cornerstone piece through the end of the decade, Haliburton said this team is poised to breakout and is ready for that challenge.

"Anybody who's been paying attention to what we've been doing these past couple years can see the moves being made and can see the growth behind the guys that are already here," Haliburton said. "That's the most important thing. We're going to add pieces that are going to help us, like Bruce, but the biggest thing is guys that are here have to get better. There is no secret recipe. We just need to work harder to perform at the best of our ability."

Credit: AP
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Marc Lebryk)

With an average age of 23.5 years old and a young, emerging core, it's hard not to see success for this Pacers franchise in the near future.

The Pacers also selected four players in last month's NBA draft and made a handful of trades, including one last week with the New York Knicks to acquire forward Obi Toppin, a first-round draft pick in 2021 after being selected The Associated Press college basketball player of the year.

The Pacers also recently signed forward Oscar Tshiebwe, AP's 2022 college basketball player of the year, to a two-way contract.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)

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