Brooklyn Nets Should Monitor Indiana Pacers Situation After Elimination

After falling to the Boston Celtics in four games during this year's Eastern Conference Finals, the Indiana Pacers have some tough decisions to make regarding their future core.

Just at the guard and wing positions alone, the Pacers currently roster Tyrese Haliburton, T.J. McConnell, Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard, Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker.

The Pacers have some interesting decisions on their hands with so much young talent at the guard/wing position:

Andrew Nembhard
Ben Sheppard
Bennedict Mathurin
Aaron Nesmith
Obi Toppin
Jarace Walker

Toppin is a restricted free agent, but it would be surprising to see him leave… pic.twitter.com/mYHQMrBBDx
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 28, 2024

Haliburton isn't going anywhere. After his playoff heroics, it seems unlikely that Nembhard would either. Pascal Siakam's unrestricted and Toppin's restricted free agency will force the franchise to choose one of the two if they hope for Walker to see the floor in his sophomore season.

Of the players listed, Siakam and McConnell appear to be the likely suspects if the Pacers choose to trim their roster.

While Siakam will command top-dollar from a playoff ready team, McConnell should have driven his stock up enough throughout the postseason for the Nets to be interested.

He would be the perfect replacement for Dennis Smith Jr., and at this point in his career, would even be an upgrade over Dennis Schröder. The 32-year-old signed a four-year $33.6 million contract back in 2021, and is due $9.3 million next season. He is the type of under-the-radar piece Brooklyn could look to add without sacrificing one of their coveted Phoenix Suns first-rounders they acquired in last season's Kevin Durant swap.

Outside of McConnell, the Nets could look to bring Toppin back to New York after one season in Indiana. Once an afterthought with the Knicks, he displayed his true ability outside of being just a high-flyer in his lone season with the Pacers. Since he is a restricted free-agent, Brooklyn would either have to overpay or orchestrate a sign-and-trade to gain Toppin's services, but he showed this year why he could be a valuable piece on an over-achieving team.

Regardless of what the Pacers decide to do following their magical run to the conference finals, should any of their young assets become available, Brooklyn should undoubtedly be interested.

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