Derek Kramer

Locked on Pacers: Why the Pacers haven’t added anyone new to the roster & Obi Toppin re-signs

Despite the rumblings about the Indiana Pacers being “on the prowl” they were pretty quiet to start free agency in terms of acquiring new players to the roster. They did however agree to a deal with restricted free agent Obi Toppin to a 4-year, $60 million deal.

To discuss the Toppin deal and the Pacers salary cap, luxury tax situation, I joined SI’s Tony East on the Locked on Pacers podcast. You can watch the full conversation below or listen wherever you normally find podcasts.

Among the topics:

  • Obi Toppin’s new deal: good value?
  • What Toppin’s re-signing means for Jarace Walker and a crowded potential rotation for next season
  • Why the Pacers likely will not be using their full Mid-Level Exception

As Tony East explained, the Pacers are a little over $4 million away from the luxury tax line and they can’t cross the first apron line after that and still be able to use the full non-taxpayer MLE. It’s possible that they would try and clear money elsewhere but currently they have about $11 million before hitting the first apron and the full MLE is over $12 million. They could use part of it and stay under the first apron but they have to weigh whether going into the luxury tax is worth it while they further crowd their rotation.

  • What might they add with their remaining roster spots and limited available money to spend. Is that veteran center Cody Zeller’s music? Bismack Biyombo anyone?
  • Why the Pacers are most likely just running it back and the challenges of finding a trade target that they can match salaries for and would be worth going after for the price (Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones would be a few of the only semi-reasonable targets they could salary match for where I would be willing to give up what it would take just to match salaries instead of just betting on internal growth from the players already on the roster. Someone like Lauri Markkanen has the right contract size but the Pacers probably don’t have enough picks to throw at the Jazz to convince them to make the deal.
  • Paul George had not yet signed with the Sixers at the time of recording.

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