Rick Carlisle says the Indiana Pacers will look different next year

The month of June in the NBA is a busy one for all teams. The Finals are ongoing, the NBA Draft is in 19 days, and free agency will begin soon after. Outside of the Nuggets and Heat, every franchise is looking toward a month of roster improvements.

The Indiana Pacers are one of those teams. Between the team's cap space, lack of open roster spots, and several draft picks, the blue and gold are bound to be an active team in June and July. Even if they want to have a slower-paced offseason, they will still need to make some moves to reach the salary floor and improve the roster. They have playoff goals for next season.

Part of improving next season will require improving on defense. Several players stated that as a necessary goal for the team, as did head coach Rick Carlisle. "We must get better defensively," Carlisle said at his exit interview just after the 2022-23 season ended.

Some of that will come via internal improvement. Carlisle, and the whole team, know that. The head coach challenged his players to grow on the less glamorous end of the court during the offseason.

Other parts of Indiana's next steps will come via new additions, though, and that will take place in the next month. "We're going to look at every conceivable possibility via the draft, trades, and free agency to get our rebounding and our defense better," Carlisle said. Indiana has three open roster spots and the seventh overall pick to potentially add a meaningful piece. They have other, lesser draft picks as well as tradeable pieces to make deals with other teams.

The Pacers ranked 26th in defensive rating this past season, and that number dipped to 30th after the All-Star break. With Tyrese Haliburton guiding the offense, the team was capable of scoring, but they couldn't get enough stops to win more than 35 games. Improving on that end of the floor is a must, especially for a team that thrives in transition.

The blue and gold could use another shot creator, especially one with size. But defense will be a priority for the team, and they will look a little different next season with that goal in mind.

"The NBA is interesting because one or two players repositioned in the rotation or repositioned to a different team can make a difference," Carlisle said. He's seen many iterations of rosters both in Dallas and Indiana during his time as a head coach. "The team will look different next year. There's no question about that. We've got some unrestricted free agents that may or may not be back," he added.

Indiana has five players entering free agency, though two of them are coming off of two-way contracts. There aren't a ton of roster spots available for the team when considering that they also have five draft picks. But they will look to add defensive talent, and size, this offseason.

Maybe that comes via the draft. Jarace Walker and Taylor Hendricks both have the potential to fill those needs. Other prospects do, to a lesser extent, as well.

Perhaps filling the need for size and defensive abilities comes in free agency. There are many capable wings and power forwards who could be available this summer, but that type of player is typically expensive. The Pacers have the cap space to go after talent, though.

Trades are always an option, too. There are countless permutations of what that could look like. However it happens, the blue and gold want to get better with their additions, particularly at the forward spots.

"Everybody wants a four man that has length. That can guard multiple positions. That can shoot threes and make plays," Carlisle said. "It's become one of the hardest positions to fill," he added, noting that every team wants that kind of player, especially since it's rare that six-foot-eight or nine players can do that.

With Haliburton, just 23, leading the way, the Pacers are in an interesting spot. They want to improve this summer, but having some patience will still be crucial in the long run. How the team balances those two facts will define their coming seasons. They have a solid base, though, after a campaign that exceeded expectations

"Very positive year in many ways," Carlisle said of the 2022-23 season. The Pacers established a style and culture. Now, they hope to add to it.