The summer of 2016 saw some crazy contracts, especially for centers. Joakim Noah, Timofey Mozgov, and former Pacer Ian Mahinmi got some serious dough, and the market for big men ballooned. The Pacers fell for the trap and joined the trend, signing Al Jefferson to a year 3-year deal.
The thinking behind this deal was understood, and borderline intelligent, at the time. Mahinmi was gone, so Al Jefferson would come in and replace his minutes as a conventional backup center. He would give Myles Turner rest while still being an impact player off the bench.