Report: Tyrese Haliburton wants to have recruiting impact for Indiana Pacers
According to reports from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Indiana Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton wants to have a strong recruiting impact in Indiana.
Haliburton, who is a Wisconsin native, has seen his hometown Bucks become an attractive destination while having former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo on their roster since 2013. They weren't known as a destination prior to Antetokounmpo's arrival, but the Greek Freak changed the culture in Milwaukee.
According to Wojnarowski, Haliburton hopes to have something similar happen with the Pacers. "Tyrese Haliburton wants to have that kind of impact in Indiana," he said on an ESPN broadcast on the day of the In-Season Tournament Semifinals. Haliburton and the Pacers beat the Bucks that day.
Wojnarowski added that Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard has been aggressive in a search for talent and has chased Toronto Raptors forwards Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby in the past. That matches other reporting connecting Indiana and Toronto, and the blue and gold are said to be after a two-way wing.
Haliburton is averaging 24.9 points and 11.9 assists per game, putting him firmly in the All-NBA mix. Wojnarowski had more to add about the 23-year old's pitch to other players around the league when it comes to the Pacers.
"What changes the equation for the Pacers now is they know they have a pied piper in Tyrese Haliburton. Guys are going to want to play with him," Wojnarowski said. "As Haliburton told me 'I'm going to get you shots, I'm going to make life easy for you, and we are going to win'. That is Haliburton's mission right now." The All-Star guard wants to get other talents to join him in Indy.
This reporting matches something that Pritchard noted about Haliburton at the end of last season. When discussing the point guard being a franchise partner, the lead decision maker for Indiana shared that he thinks Haliburton's ability to recruit could be important for the franchise.
"Talking to Ty, I think he's a good recruiter," Pritchard said. Haliburton was reportedly involved in the pitch to Deandre Ayton in free agency two summers ago, and while Indiana did sign Ayton to an offer sheet, he ended up with the Phoenix Suns.
A few days later, Wojnarowski had more to add about Haliburton's mindset when it comes to adding talent. "You'll want to come play with me,' he said of what Haliburton is trying to tell players in the NBA.
Later, Wojnarowski added that Indiana can be riskier in trades because of Haliburton's presence on the roster. The franchise could feel like they have a better chance to retain their own free agents, so they may not feel as if expiring contracts are as risky to acquire as they usually are. The word "rental" can be cut from their lexicon if Haliburton is able to convince guys to stick around.
The Pacers have Haliburton under contract for six more years, but getting another high-level player to pair with him has to be a goal for the franchise in the coming seasons. They could open a window of contention if they are able to succeed, and Haliburton's ability to recruit and convince players to stay may prove vital.
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