Tyrese Haliburton extension, cap space and more

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The Indiana Pacers finished Year 2 of their mini-rebuild and just missed the postseason for a third consecutive season. They’ve prioritized relevance and competitiveness in the past three decades by always striving for a playoff spot. In that span, they haven’t missed the postseason for more than four seasons in a row. Their history suggests that they don’t intend on having a losing record for much longer.

The Pacers could be ready to take the next step within the next few years. With a core led by Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, and the 7th overall pick in this year’s draft, they may have enough in their foundation to sustain long-term success. They also have the means to add veteran help with plenty of trade ammo and significant cap space over the next few years.

Here is a preview of the 2023 offseason for the Indiana Pacers.

State of the roster and cap space

Rick Carlisle, Indiana Pacers

The Pacers are entering the offseason with 15 players under contract, three of which include first-round picks. They have the 7th overall selection in this year’s draft, as well as the 26th via Cleveland and the 29th via Boston. They are projected to generate up to $27.3 million in cap space, which is roughly $6.2 million less than the lowest maximum salary level.

The big question the Pacers will have is if they want to strike with their cap space this summer or the next. They project to have slightly more space next summer after presumably extending Tyrese Haliburton to a maximum contract. That flexibility could disappear if they utilize their cap space on players to long-term contracts, as well as potentially extending Buddy Hield and Aaron Nesmith.

They could potentially keep their books clean enough for 2025 free agency since it would be Bennedict Mathurin’s last season on his rookie contract. Even if the Pacers do add long-term salaries to their payroll in the next two years, the flexibility of Mathurin’s low salary could allow them to make the subsequent moves to generate cap space.

Indiana’s biggest holes are in the frontcourt. They played one of the most undersized starting lineups last season…

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Author : Hoops Hype

Publish date : 2023-06-05 21:44:16

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