It’s no secret Indianapolis isn’t a top free agent destination. Aside from David West, who had much different priorities than most NBA players, the Pacers haven’t been very successful in landing A-level free agents. Honestly, B-level players can often be hard to come by… that is, until they exceed expectations in Indy, a la Bojan Bogdanovic and Darren Collison.
Playing in Indianapolis doesn’t mean access to amazing nightlife or a large market to build a brand, but the team who’s appeared in the playoffs 24 of the last 30 seasons can offer the opportunity to contend in a system around improving young players in a basketball-focused environment.