And All-Star lead guard Tyrese Haliburton tied for the highest-paid extension before the start of last season, with Aaron Nesmith signed his own for a total of $11 million per year over the next three seasons, and Myles Turner after signing a rare renegotiation extension in January 2023, the Pacers have three big pieces tied up in contracts. The trio combined for an estimated $63 million, a fair price for their services, and a slew of rookie-scale contracts Jarace Walker ($6,362,433), Benedict Mathurin ($7,245,720), Ben Sheppard ($2,664,031) and Isaiah Jackson ($4,435,380) helps keep overall costs down.
However there is one clear and obvious exception. Siakam — their All-Star big man, their leading scorer, their biggest midseason acquisition and the man who raised both the floor and the ceiling — is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, barring an extension. And if he does, he will be one of the best players in a weak market.
However, in addition to that, the Pacers should have a good continuity going into next season, and some of their middle bench will be on the market. There are no bad contracts, no ways to create really bad contracts, expiring deals of Doug McDermott and those who left long ago Daniel Theis create significant breathing room on the cap sheet, and in Haliburton, they have a superstar every free agent in the world will benefit from playing around.
Maybe it's time for another big win.
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