The Indiana Pacers have been relatively quiet since the start of NBA free agency as they continue to work on a potential sign-and-trade with the Boston Celtics to acquire Gordon Hayward. Kevin Pritchard was still working on another deal that has come to fruition. Indiana is keeping Justin Holiday.
According to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Pacers have re-signed Holiday to a three-year deal worth $18.1 million.
Bringing back Holiday was a priority for the Pacers this offseason. He was a key role player for Indiana last year and will fit in perfectly with new head coach Nate Bjorkgren’s system. This is a very reasonable deal for him as well.
Holiday’s new deal will likely not impact the Pacers’ pursuit of Hayward. They didn’t have enough cap space to get a deal done with Hayward anyway. A sign-and-trade is the only way to get something done.
This could, however, put the Pacers in a tricky situation to acquire Hayward without going into the tax.
Either way, this is a quality move for the Pacers. Holiday will continue forward with his important role coming off of the bench. He is a top-notch perimeter defender and knocked down the three-ball at an impressive clip last season.
During the 2019-20 NBA season with the Pacers, Holiday averaged 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He shot 40.5 percent from behind the three-point line. Holiday is an ideal 3-and-D player for the Pacers.
Expect to see Indiana continue looking to get a deal done for Hayward. Locking Justin Holiday up now was a smart move and one Kevin Pritchard and the Pacers should be very happy about.
