Smith: What’s next for the Pacers?
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
http://thegruelingtruth.net/podcast/lets-talk-nba-indianapacers-season-recap-future-pacers/
(Pacers Podcast. Click the picture to listen.)
INDIANAPOLIS — The Pacers barely made the playoffs. They got swept by Cleveland. There’s uncertainty surrounding Paul George. And now Larry Bird has stepped down.
That doesn’t sound too promising for the franchise or its fans.
But does that guarantee a rebuild is coming?
Many will argue it’s the only direction this franchise should take: “Start over. Clean house. Look to the future.”
But I’m not convinced it has to be the only way. Does it have to be Paul George or rebuild? Let’s add a third option: Trade Paul George and still look to win.
Imagine this scenario: The Pacers trade Paul George to Boston for a few pieces and a top pick. They sign Gordon Hayward to replace PG. They re-sign Teague, and then make another move or two to bring in shooting and rebounding. Would that not be a top-5 team in the East?
I know what many fans will say: “If you can’t compete with LeBron, rebuilding is the only option.” And I get that. Pacer fans don’t just want a middle of the pack team that has no real hope of taking down Cleveland. At the same time, a full rebuild in Indy? It wouldn’t be pretty. Yes, the loyal Pacer fans would stick around. But in a small market, you need all types of fans sticking around.
Nobody has really talked about Hayward to the Pacers. They probably assume it’s Paul George or rebuild for Indy. They probably also assume it’s Utah or Boston for Hayward. But Gordon Hayward would surely at least consider the opportunity to come home if the Pacers pursued him hard with a huge offer.
Gordon Hayward might be the only solution to keeping the fans and still being a team that competes with Paul George gone. But who knows? There could be other ways to make it work. What if the return for Paul George is massive, and they still have money to go get a Paul Millsap type player?
It’s obviously a huge off-season for Kevin Pritchard and the Indiana Pacers. He has some massive decisions to make. This team could be a few moves away from being a contender, or a few moves away from blowing the whole thing up. But knowing how Pritchard likes to operate, and knowing how the Pacers don’t like to rebuild, don’t be surprised if the Pacers try to compete next year, with or without Paul George in the jersey.
