The Pacers haven’t advanced to the second round of the playoffs since the 2013/14 season when Paul George led a defensive-minded team to the Eastern Conference Finals. Owner Herb Simon badly wants that to change and he’s willing to spend to make it happen, Scott Agness of The Athletic writes.
“Herb wants to win. We set a budget. It’s a very high budget,” GM Kevin Pritchard said. The Pacers ranked 25th in payroll last season and they have just over $57.9MM in guaranteed salary on their books for the 2019/20 season.
Here’s more from around the Central Division:
- Malcolm Brogdon is listed as out for Friday’s Game 3 between the Celtics and Bucks, ESPN relays. Brogdon has been sidelined with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
- The point guard position will be among the Pistons‘ needs this offseason, as Keith Langlois of NBA.com details. Reggie Jackson only has one year left on his current deal, while Ish Smith and Jose Calderon are each hitting the free agent market.
- How the Pistons‘ approach and prioritize additions this offseason will depend on how the front office feels about their young prospects, Langlois contends in the same piece. The team will have the mid-level exception at its disposal and could opt to use the projected $9.246MM MLE to sign multiple players instead of spending it all on one acquisition.