Should the Pacers extend Jarace Walker?

In a season full of losses in the standings, the Indiana Pacers were at least hoping to find some wins in other ways this past year. Jarace Walker has entered the chat. In fact, Head Coach Rick Carlisle called Walker's development "one of the victories of the season."

The third-year player came on strong after a slow start and finished the year averaging 11.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. He was even better down the stretch, averaging nearly 14 points per game in the second half of the season. Will that growth be enough to keep Walker in the team's future plans? And if he's in the plans, should he get an extension?

As things currently stand, Walker will be entering the fourth and final year of his rookie-scale contract with the Pacers. He will be making just shy of 8.5 million dollars. If he plays out this season with no extension, he will then become a restricted free agent.

The Pacers would then have the opportunity to match any contract he would sign, but that situation can always get a little dicey. All it takes is one team with cap space making a big offer, and you might not be interested or able to keep your player around when all is said and done.

If you're talking about a contract extension, it takes two to tango. It's unclear if Jarace Walker would be interested in an extension or if he'd rather play this season out in the hopes of continuing to build his value. It's also unclear if the Pacers believe the last few months are an indicator of Walker's future, or if they'd prefer to see more from him before making a bigger commitment. This team is about to enter a two-year window of contention, and this situation will be one of many big decisions the front office will have to make.

Rick Carlisle loved what he saw from his 6'7 wing in the final months: "To be put into these situations where he becomes one of the lead guys, make big plays, defend, rebound.. he’s really getting his footing," Carlisle said. "That’s what it’s all about. This is the growth that we’re looking for with young players. It’s great to see him respond like this.”

Let's look at the pros and cons of a possible extension:

Pros of extending Jarace Walker:

•It would give the Pacers some stability for their second unit.
•It would give the Pacers insurance at the 3 and 4 positions in case a starter goes down.
•After trading their other recent lottery pick, it would allow the Pacers to continue developing one of their own.
•Extending Walker before the season could result in a team-friendly contract, compared to the one Walker could command on the open market.
•If the Pacers believe his second half was real, you're looking at a solid player on both ends of the floor to be a projected eighth or ninth man in the rotation.

Cons of extending Jarace Walker:

•A lot of money is already tied up across this roster.
•The Pacers may want to use his current contract situation in a potential trade.
•If the Pacers want to stick with Obi Toppin long term while upgrading at the three, Walker's long-term fit becomes less clear.
•Teams rarely like to commit to a player that hasn't shown the consistency they desire.

There is a wide range of projections on what an extension would even look like for Walker. It could be in the 3 for 36 million range on the low end, or as high as 5 for 75 million.

The Pacers may elect to keep Walker with or without an extension, and try to bring in another piece to the puzzle giving them a solid nine or 10 man rotation. Or, Walker may be involved in some trade rumors soon as one of the few trade-able pieces the Pacers have to dangle. Regardless of what happens, Walker's play over the final 40 games last season will surely have an impact moving forward.

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