Indiana Pacers Free Agency Primer: Why Big Men And Money Are At Center

Forbes

6 hours ago

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 02: Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers attempts a shot in the ... More second quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 02, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by)
INDIANAPOLIS – 2025 free agency is here for the Indiana Pacers, and what once was a straightforward offseason became more complicated one week ago.
Last Sunday, the Pacers were playing in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Reaching that stage was proof that Indiana is a top-tier team – they reached the Eastern Conference Finals the year prior, too. Win or lose, it felt clear that the Pacers would enter the offseason looking to keep talent in house and pay the luxury tax for a title-contending team.
Then, less than one quarter in Game 7, Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles. It ended his game, and the Pacers season. The 2025-26 campaign now won't be highlighted by a Haliburton-led group. Instead, Indiana has to figure out who they are and how much they can win with their new resources.
If the Pacers front office assesses that they can't reach the same heights, will they be willing to spend as much money on the roster? How should they approach the balance of winning and development? Answering those questions is step one for the front office. Step two is then making key decisions on the handful of players that will be central to the Pacers offseason maneuvering.
Why Myles Turner and the center position is in the middle of everything for the Pacers
The Pacers ended the season with four centers on their roster in Myles Turner, Isaiah Jackson, Thomas Bryant, and Tony Bradley. Three of them will enter free agency with Bradley being the only one under contract (non-guaranteed) for next season.
As things stand, Indiana doesn't have a starter or depth at the five spot. They're also over the salary cap, meaning they have limited resources to add talent. Thankfully, they have Turner's Bird Rights, meaning that even with the Pacers over the salary cap they can pay Turner any legal contract. But how much is the right amount?
The Pacers currently have 11 players on their roster entering free agency and will be about $18-19 million from the luxury tax line. Turner is expected to command more than $19 million as a free agent, and the Pacers have other roster spots to fill as well. Keeping Turner, a starting center who has been largely rock solid for the blue and gold since Haliburton arrived, makes good sense for the franchise. But it will make them expensive.
Centers near Turner's level of skill – such as Nicolas Claxton, Jarrett Allen, and Isaiah Hartenstein – all make in the mid-20 to $30 million per year range. That's what the market suggests Turner could command. Indiana has no ability to replace Turner if he leaves in free agency, but there aren't any logical destinations with enough spending power to give Turner a fitting contract. Some negotiation with the Pacers seems logical.
'That is the number one priority,' Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of retaining Turner in free agency.
Are the Pacers willing to pay Turner about $30 million per year? They should be. Retaining good players is usually the right choice, even if it requires making other tough financial decisions later. There's a lot at play here, but a reunion seems like a win from the outside.
Turner has been with the Pacers for his entire 10-season career. He averaged 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this past season. His start to the playoffs was strong, but his impact faded in the Eastern Conference Finals and more in the NBA Finals.
Bryant, who was acquired midseason by the Pacers, is going to be an unrestricted free agent. Backup to reserve level centers typically only command minimum salary deals on the open market, so the Pacers could afford Bryant if he is interested in sticking around. Keeping him and Bradley may be less interesting to Indiana, though. It may depend on what happens with other internal free agents.
Jackson will become a restricted free agent after the Pacers sent him a qualifying offer. That contract would be a one-year, $6.4 million agreement, and Jackson likely won't command that much money on the open market. He could sign his qualifying offer if he is so inclined. Restricted free agency and the right of first refusal is a nice crutch for teams – so the Pacers may value their relationship with Jackson and his representatives. They can still negotiate a new deal in restricted free agency.
Keeping Jackson still makes good sense, just at a cheaper salary number than his qualifying offer. He's talented and fits how the Pacers hope to play stylistically. Plus, Jackson can keep his Bird Rights by staying with the Pacers, which could help him maximize his long-term earnings if he plays well.
The big man position is the center of the Pacers offseason. It is likely that at least some of those fives return from last year. But how many of them, and for how much money, will be critical. Once that is more known and decided, the Pacers can move on to other matters.
What is the right path for the Pacers with Bennedict Mathurin?
Bennedict Mathurin is another key part of the Pacers offseason. He is eligible for a rookie-scale contract extension after finishing his third season, and at his best he's a rare talent. The Pacers have to figure out if they can afford him, or if they should want to.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 01: Bennedict Mathurin #00 of the Indiana Pacers stands on the court ... More during the third quarter of an NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on March 01, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by)
Mathurin is clearly a good player. He averaged 16.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season and was the best player in an NBA Finals victory. He might be a starter next season with Haliburton sidelined. The Pacers have many reasons to potentially keep Mathurin around. But there are thoughts about fit, money, and value that make it a complicated conversation.
If Turner sticks around, the Pacers will be a somewhat expensive team this coming season, barring other moves. Add in an extension for Mathurin the following year and the franchise will blow right past the luxury tax line without shedding multiple other players. It's also hard to pin down Mathurin's market value right now – what is the right role for him? What does his talent say he should be paid? Those aren't easy questions to answer.
There's also fit challenges. Mathurin is a terrific face-up player, but the Pacers want to play fast and make quick decisions. Blending those styles has been a never-ending goal for the franchise. 'We've got to work at melding his strengths with the things that our team needs to do to make it really work for him and our team. It's an important thing to understand, it's an important thing for our fans to understand, and it's an important thing for our team to understand,' Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of the situation in March.
With those fit challenges in mind, an extension is challenging. Mathurin's salary is near the amount that the Pacers project to be over the luxury tax line if Turner is re-signed, and players become harder to trade if they receive a rookie-scale extension. Flexibility is important in the Pacers expensive, yet injury-based, reality.
If Mathurin has a great season as a starter, Indiana should want to keep him. But they'd be paying him for production in a role that may be atypical when Haliburton returns. This is a complicated situation, and any outcome will be telling about the Pacers future in both the short and long term.
Could the Pacers trade a veteran to save money?
If the Pacers end up keeping Turner and going over the luxury tax, are they willing to stay there?
Luxury tax payments are based on a team's spending level at the end of the season. Indiana would have the entire campaign to get under the tax if they wanted to. But making trades is easier in the offseason, and if the blue and gold determine they want to duck the tax given their lower ceiling as soon as possible, and they also want to keep Turner, they may need to move some money.
Obi Toppin and T.J. McConnell, two rock solid players, both make between $10 and 15 million. They seem like strong candidates for a financially-motivated move, though it would certainly make the Pacers worse in the short term if either of those two players are moved for little salary in return.
What else is key for the Pacers in free agency?
There's a ton of little things in the air for the Pacers this offseason. But Myles Turner and their spending are in the middle of it all. Moves are already being made around the NBA, and the Pacers will strike soon.