Nothing and no one can replace Paul George for the Indiana Pacers, but they already have their eyes set on acquiring some relief.
According to RealGM’s Shams Charania, the Pacers are in play for veteran swingman Shawn Marion:
Pacers are making a strong push on Shawn Marion, placing calls into the free agent forward in recent days, league source tells RealGM.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 5, 2014
Indy’s interest comes after George suffered an open tibia-fibula fracture in his right leg, basically erasing all hope that he would suit up next season.
Charania proved additional details:
Shawn Marion, the best unrestricted free agent on the market, has received inquries from the Indiana Pacers and a strong push on a potential deal with the franchise, a league source told RealGM.
Marion spent a half-day in Cleveland to meet with the Cavaliers on Monday, and he remains intrigued about the opportunity to join LeBron James and possibly Kevin Love – even on a veteran-minimum contract.
Marion has since left Cleveland and is scheduling further meetings with NBA teams, a source said.
The Pacers had reached out to Marion early in free agency, before signing C.J. Miles and Rodney Stuckey. In the wake of Paul George’s injury, Indiana has turned its attention to replenishing the wing position and several veteran scorers remain available, including Jordan Hamilton and Jordan Crawford.
Marion fits in well with the Pacers. He knows how to defend, rebounds well and, while it rarely looks pretty, can space the floor under the right circumstances.
But the Pacers shouldn’t get their hopes up. Not for what they can offer.
If Marion is going to accept that kind of pay cut, the LeBron James-piloted Cleveland Cavaliers stand a better chance of signing him. (Aside: How do you say no to playing for the Cavs at that point of you’re Ray Allen? You don’t). All the Pacers have going for them is playing time. Marion could come in and start for them, and realistically log as many minutes as he wanted. In essence, he could party like it’s 2005-06 and Indiana is Phoenix, Frank Vogel is Mike D’Antoni, Roy Hibbert is Amar’e Stoudemire and George Hill is Steve Nash.
You know, just without the Conference Finals berth.
Make no mistake, the Pacers are going to be bad next year. They already lost Lance Stephenson and must now move onward and downward without George. Perhaps they’re able to scrap together a respectable performance in the wacky Eastern Conference, but still, without George they’re a lottery-bound team. The New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets—all fringe-playoff squads—figure to be better.
Shit, if you’re the Pacers, you might as well tank. Or at least consider it. There’s no value in a possibly middling finish if George isn’t going to play next year. Not to mention it saves them the trouble of trying to preserve face by pursuing savvy veterans like Marion.
Either way, Marion to the Pacers is unlikely. Winning has to matter to him more than ever now that he’s on the wrong side of 36. The Pacers don’t offer him an opportunity to win; they can only offer him minutes accompanied by a below-market salary.
That, given how far down the Pacers project to fall next year, won’t be enough.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
