The Pacers are “actively pursuing” a center to back up starter Myles Turner, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Insider link).
At the start of the regular season, the Pacers expected offseason free agent addition James Wiseman to compete with former first-round pick Isaiah Jackson for minutes behind Turner. However, Wiseman suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in the regular season opener and Jackson sustained the same injury just nine days later.
Indiana signed journeyman center Moses Brown to a non-guaranteed deal in November and he appeared in nine games for the team before falling out of the rotation and being waived on Monday.
The Pacers now have an open spot on their 15-man roster and are operating approximately $2.2MM below the luxury tax line. That gives them the flexibility to trade for a player on a one-year, minimum-salary contract without becoming a projected taxpayer.
Charania doesn’t go into any detail on whether the Pacers have their eye on a specific player, but a number of centers who signed one-year minimum deals will become trade-eligible this Sunday. That group includes Thomas Bryant, Charles Bassey, Alex Len, and former Pacer Daniel Theis, among many others.
Indiana was awarded a $2.2MM disabled player exception for Jackson’s injury — it could be used to trade for a player on an expiring contract whose salary fits into the exception. There aren’t many centers who fit that bill – and who couldn’t simply be acquired using the minimum salary exception – but Jericho Sims is one example.
Trading for a player earning more than the minimum wouldn’t be out of the question for the Pacers, but it would likely mean sending out at least one player in order to stay below the tax line. Jackson, who is on a $4.4MM expiring contract, is one possible trade candidate who would make sense if Indiana targets a center in the $5MM range such as Nick Richards or Drew Eubanks.
Turner is averaging a career-high 31.9 minutes per game so far this season. In recent games, when he’s been off the floor, the Pacers have gone with small-ball lineups featuring multiple power forwards, including Pascal Siakam, Obi Toppin, and Jarace Walker.
Daniel Theis would be the perfect guy for them. Low cost guy, ain’t like Pelicans are going anywhere this year anyways.
Go get Chris Boucher. He just makes winning plays consistently.
Boucher makes $10M, where as Theis only makes $2.8M this year. I think that’s why it’s more of a fit than Boucher.
Huff from Memphis would very good.
Memphis doesn’t want to get rid of Huff.
Bryant seems like a guy who could work given their system.
Pacers are more than a backup center from greatness right now…..
Step one….fix Hali or fix the offensive plan. Teams are picking up Hali full court and the offense is not free flowing – and Hali seems lost. He can’t have about the same impact as Isaiah Wong (who was on Indiana last year but didn’t play)
link to espn.com
Step two – lay off the Jarace Walker and Johnny Furphy minutes. I know once Nesmith and Shepard are back that should help.
Step Three – teach what defense is (Obi – looking at you).
Step Four – Play McConnell 48 minutes a game. All of them. Refuse to let him come out.
Step Five – Worry about a backup center.
What’s wrong with Moses Brown? Can’t shoot 3s or guard the opposing teams PG. Bring back the PF’s and C’s
Tired of watching friends watching their rich friends shoot and nobody plays defense or can dribble. Weakest era ever
Hard to believe it’s much of a priority, at least in terms of the rotation. They gave Toppin a 4 year deal knowing they had Walker. Even before the injuries, I have to believe they were thinking Siakam could play a bunch of backup C.
Steven Adams’ Agent on line 2