Fansided

NBA Free Agency 2019: 5 potential destinations for Kemba Walker

By Bryan Toporek

Mandatory Credit: Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images
Mandatory Credit: Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 20: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers and Kemba Walker #15 of the Charlotte Hornets speak after the game on January 20, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 20: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers and Kemba Walker #15 of the Charlotte Hornets speak after the game on January 20, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /

4. Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers are in a precarious spot this offseason.

Five of their key rotation players — Bojan Bogdanovic, Thaddeus Young, Darren Collison, Cory Joseph and Wesley Matthews — will all be unrestricted free agents come June 30. Making matters worse, All-Star 2-guard Victor Oladipo is on the mend from a torn quadriceps tendon he suffered in January, and it’s unclear whether he’ll be ready to return to action at the start of the 2019-20 season.

The Pacers lacked a go-to offensive weapon once Oladipo went down, which proved to be their downfall in the playoffs. They mustered a pitiful 95.8 points per 100 possessions as the Boston Celtics swept them in the first round, and only four Indiana players averaged at least 10 points per game in that series.

If the Pacers aren’t satisfied with the Collison-Joseph duo at the point, they could look to upgrade by bringing in a high-volume scorer like Walker. Until Oladipo returns, Walker would be Indiana’s unquestioned No. 1 option on offense, and he and Oladipo could form a dynamic offensive tandem upon the latter’s return.

The Pacers could carve out $43.8 million in salary-cap space by renouncing the rights to all of their free agents, far more than they’d need for Walker’s $32.7 million max starting salary. If they kept Bogdanovic’s $13.65 million cap hold on their books, they’d be less than $800,000 shy of being able to offer Walker a full max.

Indiana may prioritize retaining its own core or divvying up its cap space among multiple rotation players rather than pursuing a max-caliber star. But if they’re worried about Oladipo’s early-season outlook and want to add an electric scorer to help shoulder some of the offensive load, few players on the free-agent market will be more appealing than Walker.

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