CazOnReal wrote:Thaddy wrote:Turner isn't a big name free agent. If you give him 40M a year like FVV got he'll come or the Pacers match and get wrecked by the aprons when they renew Mathurin, Nembhard, etc.
Setting aside that clearing up cap space to sign a free agent is easier said than done, setting aside that there's no guarantee the players you're getting back via those hypothetical picks, setting aside that paying Myles Turner $40 million is psychotic, setting aside that even starter-level players don't sign with us (Otto Porter, Bismack Biyombo, etc.)...you know what free agents don't like?
Losing. Or going to losing situations. Myles is going to be a very in-demand free agent, there's no guarantee Turner would sign here to begin with, let alone leave the Pacers if they opt to not trade him to a destination that will, but being a team with
10 wins where you've made the team worse trying to sales pitch a free agent to sign with you is some 5D Connect 4 nonsense.
Put another way, you're not signing Myles Turner.
We beat Boston, that means something and we've had a few competitive games. It's obvious injuries are the reason for the record not the talent.
Yeah talent that, again, you are not guaranteed to get back through the draft if you trade it away. It's a crapshoot and it's way easier to simply sit those guys or limit their minutes down the stretch.
Also we haven't beaten Boston since 2022, don't pretend like they've been consistently crushing it against top competition. They are perfectly capable of losing with who they have on the roster and any adjustments to make to the roster/asset accumulation can be done just as easily - if not, moreso - in the offseason.
FVV went to Houston because he got overpaid. The idea is that you sign these guys to high front loaded $$ and bank on the value being spread to your draft pick. When the draft pick is done the rookie deal the big contract would be expiring. The Rockets did literally that with FVV and Reed/Green/Smith.
Tanking is a 14% at Flagg if we're the worst team, if you consider Harper it's another 14 and same with Bailey. That's a 42% at either of those guys. Do you know what the probability of a high usage 24+ year old non all star becoming an all star? It's pretty much an non-existent outlier number.
Tripod wrote:So all we have to do is:
trade 2 starters
Finish in the bottom 5
Not drop in the lottery
Sign the top C on the market by overpaying him
Tank again in 2026 to finish bottom 1
Make sure we don't drop in the lottery again
Somehow make Indy finish bottom 10
Somehow make Indy not drop in the lottery...or win the lottery
Ensure none of the guys we draft struggle
Don't lost any trades
See guys, it's so easy to build a good team the next decade. Just do ALL these things. EZPZ.
We would trade 2 starters for future picks, preferrably 2027 and beyond.
We are pretty close to finish bottom 5.
Yes sign Turner to a 3 years 120M contract with the last year being a team option, similar to what FVV got.
Compete next year and likely not be in the playoffs, tank towards the end of the season and get a pick in the 8-12 range. Indiana would lose their starting C and likely struggle to get in the playoffs. This could be a 8-15 pick.
Why would we tank two years in a row? Because starting rookies rarely ends well. So yes, it would be a developmental year. The 2026 picks would be added to our bench.
In 2027 we compete and likely miss the playoffs / possibly get into the play in. Then grow from there year over year.
What short cut are you thinking to becoming a contender in less than a year? Did you think the process was going to happen overnight? Do you think Dick or Barrett are players any team in the league would want compared to the projected top 8 in the draft this year?

If we are good right away with a ROTY Flagg in 2026 then yeah we can compete but it's not likely. Building a contender will take time.