Pacers president Larry Bird wants Indiana to play faster and more dynamically offensively.
Dropping Frank Vogel? A harsh move, but the coach seemed to prefer a more deliberate pace.
Hiring Nate McMillan? His history is with slow teams, but maybe he’ll adjust to a different roster.
Trading George Hill for Jeff Teague? I think that’s a downgrade, but Teague is more capable off the dribble.
Trading the No. 20 pick for Thaddeus Young? Again, I’m not sure about the value, but Young certainly fits.
Al Jefferson? Umm...
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
Al Jefferson has agreed in principle to a three-year, $30M deal with Indiana, league source tells @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2016
Still unclear if the final year of Jefferson-Pacers deal will be fully guaranteed, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2016
Jefferson doesn’t fit the style Bird appeared to be trending toward one bit. That’s why Myles Turner should start at center.
To give the Pacers the benefit of the doubt, Jefferson could be effective as a change of pace off the bench. They don’t have to play the same way all the time. He could damage in the low post against backup bigs.
This is a reasonable enough price if the final year is unguaranteed. Jefferson can help now, but at 31, he might not remain a positive rotation player three years from now.
