The Indiana Pacers are not even a month removed from their Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and their rotation for next season has already taken some huge hits. Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles, early in Game 7 and will almost certainly miss all of next season as he recovers. And then starting center, and the longest-tenured player on the Pacers roster, signed with the Bucks after the team reversed course and declined to venture into the luxury tax to re-sign him.
The Pacers still have plenty of talent and ready-made replacements for Haliburton in Andrew Nembhard and TJ McConnell, but the departure of Turner leaves an enormous hole at center. It's no surprise then that they were immediately linked in rumors with Deandre Ayton, who had just negotiated a buyout from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Remember, the Pacers signed Ayton to a massive, four-year, $133 million offer sheet back in 2022 when he entered restricted free agency. The Suns ultimately matched, Ayton went back to Phoenix and the Pacers moved forward with Turner.
If there was still mutual interest between Ayton and the Pacers — the Lakers are also reportedly in the mix — he could probably slide right into the starting center spot.
Projected Pacers lineup and rotation with Deandre Ayton
POSITION | STARTER | BENCH |
|---|---|---|
Point Guard | Andrew Nemhard | TJ McConnell |
Shooting Guard | Bennedict Mathurin | Ben Sheppard |
Small Forward | Aaron Nesmith | Johnny Furphy |
Power Forward | Pascal Siakam | Jarace Walker |
Center | Deandre Ayton | Obi Toppin |
The Pacers still have time to make other moves in free agency, so this likely wouldn't be the full picture. But Nembhard would likely take over as the starting point guard, creating room for Bennedict Mathurin to move into the starting lineup for good. Ayton would take over as the starting center.
Until the Pacers make another move, Obi Toppin would have to fill in as the backup big with largely unproved young players Jarace Walker and Johnny Furphy picking up frontcourt minutes. McConnell and Sheppard give Indiana a solid backcourt.
Even with Ayton on the roster, the Pacers still have some big issues. When Indiana initially signed him to that offer sheet, he was an ascendant young big with tons of potential. In the three years since, he's mostly regressed — playing little to no defense since he left Phoenix. He can put up decent numbers, but he doesn't protect the rim, he likes to post-up on offense and the vibes aren't great.
He averaged 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game in two seasons in Portland. But he shot 7-of-42 from beyond the arc, had more turnovers than assists, couldn't manage even one block per game and appeared in just 95 of a possible 164 games.
If the Pacers are looking to replicate their formula from last season, they need bigs who can protect the paint, are comfortable running the floor and spacing out to the 3-point line and are willing to play hard for 48 minutes. That's just not Ayton.
At this point, options are limited, and the Pacers may not be looking for a long-term answer right now, knowing they won't be at full-strength until Haliburton is fully healthy heading into the 2026-27 season. But players like Mo Wagner, Chris Boucher, Bol Bol or Jaxson Hayes would probably be better fits, even if their individual ceilings are lower. Or they could just re-sign Thomas Bryant or Tony Bradley, who played some meaningful minutes in the playoffs.
The Pacers probably aren't fighting for a championship next season. And it feels even less likely if Deandre Ayton is their starting center.