INDIANAPOLIS — The Pacers already made their big move in February when they sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and three first-round picks including what turned out to be their precious 2026 first-rounder to the Clippers to fill their massive hole at center with Ivica Zubac.
Though president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard seemed heartbroken at the NBA Draft Lottery in Chicago in May when that top-four protected pick did not land in the top four and ended up conveying to the Clippers at No. 5, he said he felt like the Pacers have a strong enough core of seven players to compete for a championship again after what turned out to be a miserable gap year. Those top seven players — starters Zubac, Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith and subs T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin — take up about $175 million in salary, so if the Pacers look to keep that core intact they can only engage in so much offseason movement. However, Pritchard has shown in the past that he’s willing to take unexpected big swings, and even if he doesn’t, the Pacers still have some areas whey they could use a talent infusion and could get one with a manageable level of investment. In particular, they could use some scoring punch on the second unit, they could always use two-way wings, and they might want to look into an upgrade in terms of center depth.
With all of that in mind, we’ll be using this live story to track and update all the news that could affect the Pacers and their decision-making as they head towards the draft and then the formal opening of free agency. Follow this for updates.
Trae Young’s contract a sign Wizards are at least serious
The Wizards’ reported four-year deal with point guard Trae Young worth approximately $212 million doesn’t have a lot of direct impact on the Pacers except as a sign that the Wizards are apparently stepping out of their active tanking phase. That means there will be another team to take serious in the Eastern Conference.
That’s not to say this means the Wizards are immediate contenders and it might be a year or two before they work their way into the postseason. Young is averaging 25.1 points and 9.8 assists per game for his career, but he’s only been to the playoffs three times and only been out of the first round once, back in 2021, so a long-term deal with Young doesn’t necessarily mean long term success.
Still, the Wizards have have two players under max contracts for 2026-27 in Young and Anthony Davis, they have the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft and there’s still some promising talent from previous drafts including Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly. They will still have some financial flexibility after the draft to make some moves even though they’ll be over the salary cap by that point so they could be competing for other pieces the Pacers might have interest in. It doesn’t change anything dramatic for Indiana, but it’s still something worth noting as the Wizards might at least be able to work their way out of the Eastern basement.
Why C.J. McCollum’s contract was good news for the Pacers
The Pacers weren’t involved in any player movement on Sunday, June 21, but there were transactions that appeared to at least begin to set the market for shooting guards in both free agency and trades.
The Hawks re-signed guard C.J. McCollum for a one-year, $21 million deal and then traded two future second-round picks to the Thunder for wing Aaron Wiggins. In both cases, the prices paid seem to bode well for the Pacers if they wish to acquire a 2 guard who can score.
McCollum had the highest 2025-26 salary among shooting guards who were set to hit unrestricted free agency as he made $30.7 million last season and averaged $32 million per year on his previous contract. He seemed revitalized when traded from the Wizards and the Hawks, averaging 19.2 points per game in their first-round series against the Knicks, so it didn’t seem likely he was going to leave. The Pacers are far over the cap enough that they can’t offer more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception so McCollum always seemed well above their price point.
That being said, if McCollum’s price point is $21 million, that bodes at least reasonably well for the Pacers in terms finding affordable talent in the free agent class. McCollum will turn 35 in September, so that clearly makes an impact, but he’s still one of the most prolific, dynamic shooting guards who will hit the market. Miami’s Norman Powell, a 33-year-old coming off his first All-Star selection, will probably still command more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. So will Minnesota combo guard Ayo Dosunmu. However, there are several other shooting guard/small forward types who can probably be had for under $15 million per year, including Chicago’s Anfernee Simons, Philadelphia’s Quentin Grimes and/or Kelly Oubre, the Lakers’ Luke Kennard, Detroit’s Kevin Huerter and Dallas’ Khris Middleton. Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort might even fit into the mid-level if the Thunder decide not to pick up his club option. The Pacers would need to clear out space under the first tax apron to be able to offer the full non-taxpayer mid-level. but they could do so knowing there are quality players to be had at that price.
Would Pacers be interested in Isaiah Joe?
The Wiggins trade takes a potential target off the market for the Pacers, but it does make it clear that the Thunder are looking to move salary and are particularly trying to sell off some guards and wings who became superfluous during a playoff run when Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain both made leaps. If Wiggins could be had for two second-round picks, guard Isaiah Joe could likely be had for that or even less.
Offensively, at least, Joe would seem to be a great fit for the Pacers’ second unit. The former second-round pick from Arkansas isn’t the defender most of his fellow Thunder wings are, but he’s an outstanding shooter, making 40.6% of his 3-pointers in his career including better than 40% in each of his four seasons at Oklahoma City at high volume. Despite coming off the bench, he made at least 140 3-pointers and finished in the top 10 in the NBA in 3-pointers off the bench in each of those seasons. In a second unit with McConnell and Toppin, he’d get a ton of opportunity.
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Pacers free agency targets, trade rumors and top targets
Reporting by Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
