2016 Indiana Pacers

Written by Paul Banks of the Washington Times, David Kay and Peter Christian of the The Sports Bank. Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
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Indiana Pacers (Last Year: 45-37)

2016-17 Projected Depth Chart:

C: Myles Turner

PF: Lavoy Allen/Shayne Whittington/Rakeem Christmas

SF: Paul George/C.J. Miles/Glenn Robinson III

SG: Monta Ellis/Rodney Stuckey

PG: George Hill/Joe Young

NBA Free Agents:

C-Ian Mahinmi (UFA)

PG-Ty Lawson (UFA)

C-Jordan Hill (UFA)

SF-Solomon Hill (UFA)

2016-17 Team Salary: Approximately $57.5 million

NBA Offseason Team Needs:

1. Post Player: Ian Mahinmi was serviceable as the starting center this past season and is a free agent this summer. With the increased salary cap, he could be chasing a contract upwards of $10 million per year, which seems a bit absurd. I think the Pacers can find better options up front to upgrade the frontcourt combination alongside last year’s first-round pick, Myles Turner.

2. Point Guard: If you rank starting point guards in the NBA, George Hill would be a bottom-third guy. That’s why Indiana took a late-season flyer on Ty Lawson. With Lawson a free agent and Hill in the final year of his contract, the Pacers should look to make a move in hopes of finding a better floor leader.

3. Take a Big Swing: When the salary cap jumps this offseason, the Pacers could end up with about $35 million to spend in free agency. Paul George is the established alpha dog on this team, and while his name has been loosely tied to trader rumors, it would be surprising to see him leave Indiana. Therefore, the franchise should take a big swing in free agency in hopes of landing a second-banana-type player. You could consider Monta Ellis as that guy right now for the Pacers, but if they can land a big-name point guard or post player to help lighten the load for George, it would help them take a step forward in the Eastern Conference.