Indiana general manager Chad Buchanan discusses Pacers free agency additions, draft, and more on Setting The Pace podcast
Indiana Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan joined hosts Alex Golden and Michael Facci on the Setting The Pace podcast earlier this month to break down the Pacers offseason.
Golden and Facci chatted with Buchanan for nearly 80 minutes, and they discussed every transaction the Pacers made. It was a wide-ranging and informative conversation.
Buchanan spoke in July on a Summer League broadcast about some of the team's moves, but he went more in-depth on this podcast appearance. He spent a few moments breaking down the acquisition of forward Obi Toppin, who Indiana grabbed via trade.
"He's a guy, along with some other young fours, that we've been tracking for a couple of years," Buchanan said of Toppin. "Those guys are very difficult to acquire."
The general manager went on to explain that Toppin should get more opportunities with Indiana than he did in New York. The Pacers sent the Knicks two future second-round draft selections to acquire the former lottery pick last month.
Since joining the blue and gold, Toppin has already started to form a bond with All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton. The two played together in a Pro-Am in July and showed off their complementary skill sets. The 25-year old forward is also excited about being in Indiana because it's closer to Dayton, Ohio, where he played college basketball and still holds basketball camps.
Buchanan also shared more about the signing of guard/wing Bruce Brown, the Pacers biggest acquisition of the summer. "He can play just all over the floor. He can guard different positions," he said. Brown's versatility makes him a great fit with the blue and gold.
Brown should be able to help the Pacers in many ways. The 26-year old has few weaknesses in his game and can step into many roles, including as a shooter, passer, defender, and more. His all-around game made him a valuable part of Denver's title run this past season.
Indiana agreed to a two-year, $45 million deal with Brown. The second year contains a team option. "We had a lot of cap room to spend, we had to get to the salary floor," Buchanan said of the agreement. "We said 'hey, let's go above a little higher number than his market might be and see if he'll take maybe a shorter-term deal with a bigger number.' He was open to it."
Buchanan also discussed several other Pacers offseason moves, including their draft night trades and picks, the general free agency landscape of the league, Indiana's rotation and training camp, and more. The full episode can be found on Spotify here and YouTube here.
- Myles Turner talks about the Pacers offseason, his growth, and more at his basketball camp. CLICK HERE.
- Oscar Tshiebwe discusses his early time with the Indiana Pacers, his rebounding skills, and background. CLICK HERE.
- Tyrese Haliburton and Obi Toppin are forming an early bond for the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
- How Bruce Brown can help the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
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