Indiana Adds a Former LeBron Teammate on a Budget Deal. Here Is Why It Makes Sense.

The Indiana Pacers haven’t been quiet this offseason. After losing Myles Turner to free agency last summer and dealing with Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles rehab for an entire year, they needed bodies in the frontcourt. They traded for Ivica Zubac midseason. Now they’re adding another familiar face on a bargain deal.

Larry Nance Jr. is coming back to Indiana — the team that drafted him in 2015 — on a one-year, $4 million contract. Shams Charania broke the news. Nance spent last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers in a limited role, averaging 3.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in about 13 minutes a game. But the year before that, with Atlanta, he put up 8.5 points on 51.6% shooting and knocked down 44.7% from three. That version of Nance is exactly what the Pacers need.

It’s a low-risk move. Four million bucks for a big who can stretch the floor and defend multiple positions? That’s fine money in today’s NBA. Nance played alongside LeBron James in Cleveland back in 2018. He’s been around. He knows how to fit into a system without needing the ball in his hands every possession.

Tyrese Haliburton Says He Feels Like Himself Again

The bigger story in Indiana might be what happens when Haliburton steps back on the floor. He missed the entire 2025-26 season after rupturing his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. That injury cost the Pacers a chance to defend their conference title. The Knicks won it all last season, and the East is loaded with Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Boston all reloading.

But Haliburton sounds confident. He told Pacers reporter Scott Agness that he’s fully cleared and moving well. I feel great. You see I have eyebrows now, so thankful for that. He was joking about how swollen his face got during the worst of his recovery. I looked back at videos of me and I can see how swollen my face is, and I’m just glad that’s past me now. He added, Body feels great. I’m able to do everything. I feel like I’m operating like I’m a healthy NBA player for the first time in a long time, which is exciting.

The Pacers went 42-40 without him last season and snuck into the play-in tournament. They lost in the first round to the Cavs. That’s not bad for a team missing its max-contract star, but it’s not competing for a title either.

How Nance Fits Into the Rotation

Nance isn’t going to start. Zubac has that spot locked down. But Indiana’s bench frontcourt was thin. With Turner gone and the Pacers relying on young guys like Jalen Smith and Isaiah Jackson for depth last season, adding a veteran who can play both center and power forward is smart. Nance can switch onto guards defensively, and his three-point shooting last season in Atlanta suggests he can space the floor if he gets back to that form.

If Haliburton really is back to full speed, the Pacers could be a problem. A healthy Haliburton, Zubac inside, Benedict Mathurin on the wing, and shooters like Buddy Hield (assuming he’s still there) plus Nance off the bench — that’s a playoff rotation. Beating the Knicks in a seven-game series? That’s a bigger ask. But Indiana is quietly building a roster that could make things interesting come May.