Previewing the Indiana Pacers for the 2022-23 NBA season

DK Nation will be going through all 30 teams ahead of the season, looking at how the roster shapes up for the 2022-23 campaign. Here we take a look at the Indiana Pacers, who have entered the early stages of a rebuild after a few years of failed playoff runs.

Indiana Pacers 2022-23 Outlook

Key additions: Bennedict Mathurin, Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith

Mathurin looks like he can be an immediate contributor, while Theis has a history as a strong rotation big man. Nesmith didn’t show a lot with the Celtics but he could absorb some wing minutes if needed.

Key departures: Malcolm Brogdon

The Pacers never got much from Brogdon after prying him from the Bucks in restricted free agency. Brogdon was also hurt often, which further pushed Indiana to ship him out. In the right role, he’s still a nice player to have but the Pacers were asking him to do too much in their system.

Season expectations

The Pacers are trying to tank. They’re going to trade their current assets like Myles Turner and Buddy Hield for future pieces. This will be a tough season when it comes to wins and losses. The key will be assessing which players are part of the new core.

Projected starting lineup

Tyrese Haliburton, Hield and Turner should have starting spots at the beginning of the season. Mathurin could get into the lineup, along with Chris Duarte. If Turner and Hield get shipped out, look for Isaiah Jackson and Nesmith to take those spots.

Fantasy basketball player to watch: Tyrese Haliburton

If there’s one player the Pacers absolutely will not part with this season, it is Haliburton. He’s going to be the full-time point guard on this team and should be able to run the show in Rick Carlisle’s system. I expect the coaching staff to give Haliburton the green light offensively, which could lead to big numbers. Given where Haliburton is going to be drafted in fantasy basketball leagues, he could provide tremendous value.