Indiana Pacers Need To Upgrade Point Guard Position
The Indiana Pacers will have a good deal of cap space this offseason to sign at least one big-name free agent. Should team president Larry Bird go after a point guard during the free agency period?
The Indiana Pacers will have in-between $30-to-40 million in cap space this summer. With many notable free agents available on the market, the Pacers should be able to reel in a player that will help aid in a position of need.
One position that the Pacers could definitely use an upgrade in is the point guard position. While the team had the services of George Hill and Ty Lawson during the past season, neither player did a whole lot to produce and effectively prove that they were a reliable option at the position.
Hill appeared in 74 games for the Pacers in 2015, averaging 12.1 points, 3.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. Lawson was signed off of waivers by the Pacers back in March, and averaged 5.7 points, 3.6 assists as well as 1.8 rebounds per game through 66 games with both the Houston Rockets and Pacers in 2015-16.
While Hill’s numbers aren’t too bad at first glance, it could be argued that they could be better considering the fact that as the starting point guard, Hill’s main job is to orchestrate and provide offense for this team. His 3.5 assists-per-game suggest otherwise.
Regarding Lawson’s time with the Pacers, the 28-year-old point guard was just flat-out terrible. He had his brief moments in games where he showed flashes of his old self. The Pacers could either decide to cut ties with Lawson this offseason, or they very well could re-sign him given the fact that Bird may look to give Lawson a full season with the team to see how he performs.
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There are a handful of point guards with expiring contracts in 2016 that the Pacers could very well afford to sign. Some of these free agents include the likes of Mike Conley and Rajon Rondo.
Conley would be the most ideal option for the Pacers to chase after this offseason considering he’s the better player in terms of offense and can consistently score and get to the basket. He averaged 15.3 points and 6.1 assists through 56 games with the Memphis Grizzlies last season.
Rondo wouldn’t necessarily fit Bird’s wants in terms of an offense that is fast-paced and can score, but can play excellent defense and has been known throughout his career for his ability to create offense for his team. Through 72 games in 2015-16, Rondo averaged 11.9 points, 11.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds for the Sacramento Kings.
Taking a look at how much each player made last season, Conley made a little over $9.5-million in 2015, while Rondo’s one-year contract with the Kings was worth exactly $9.5-million, via Spotrac. It is quite possible that either player could ask for a maximum-contract from teams that gauge any interest in the guards.
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As stated earlier, the Pacers will have anywhere in-between $30 and 40-million to spend in free agency depending on if the team wishes to re-sign Ian Mahinmi or Solomon Hill, whose contracts are set to expire this offseason.
Regardless of what happens in terms of the team’s own free agents, Bird and the Pacers would be foolish to not pursue either of the top free agents at the point guard position this summer.