Pacers Should Pursue $100 Million Guard in Free Agency

The Indiana Pacers will need to be buyers this offseason as they look to contend for an NBA title in the 2026-27 season.

The Pacers came close in the 2024-25 season, falling in Game 7 to the Oklahoma City Thunder with star guard Tyrese Haliburton going down with a torn Achilles tendon early in the game.

While Haliburton is back and Indiana acquired center Ivica Zubac to be their long-term starting center at the trade deadline, there is more work to be done.

The Pacers have had success against the New York Knicks in the playoffs before, but Jalen Brunson and company have now won a title and are poised to be a tougher challenge next time around.

As they look to contend for a championship and take down teams in the Eastern Conference like the Knicks, Indiana will need to add complementary pieces to the roster.

One player the Pacers should pursue is guard Anfernee Simons. Simons is a free agent and would be a great addition as a scoring punch for the bench.

In the 2025-26 season, Simons averaged 14.3 points per game along with 2.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 44 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three.

Simons' scoring and shooting would give Indiana a 6th man who could ease the scoring load off Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. 

The Pacers have a quality rotation with Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Siakam, and Zubac as their starting lineup, with bench pieces of TJ McConnell, Ben Sheppard, Jarace Walker, and Obi Toppin.

Adding in a player of Simons' caliber would solidify Indiana as one of the favorites to win the East. Simons could also play impactful minutes early in the season if Haliburton needs time to find his groove after missing the entire 2025-26 season.

Haliburton is an incredible player, as he averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in the 2024-25 season. He shot an efficient 47.3 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from behind the arc.

He has a ton of talent, but coming off the injury, it may take some time to return to the player he was before going down. Signing a player like Simons would help Indiana during this time, and he would be a valuable bench scorer even when Haliburton is back at full strength.

Pacers Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Pacers. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.