The Indiana Pacers are in the market for a point guard this summer, as the team’s depth chart at the position looks rather bare due to the impending free agencies of Darren Collison and Cory Joseph. According to a report by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the team has an idea for a veteran presence that could fill this void.
O’Connor reports that Indiana is intrigued by the idea of bringing Utah Jazz guard Ricky Rubio on board. Rubio has already said that the Jazz have told him he is not “priority number one” for the franchise, which in recent days has been linked to a move for Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley.
Unrestricted free-agent point guard Ricky Rubio will be a top target of the Pacers, according to multiple league sources. Rubio would replace point guards Darren Collison and Cory Joseph—both unrestricted free agents—and share the backcourt with Victor Oladipo, who ruptured his right quadriceps tendon this past season.
Rubio would be an interesting fit in Indiana. He’s a savvy defender who would help the already-stingy Pacers defense, and while he’s not a particularly good shooter, he’d likely be a willing distributor who defers to Oladipo, a question that could pop up if the Pacers targeted another player with whom they’ve been linked, D’Angelo Russell.
While Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker are the best free agent point guards on the market, Rubio would provide a steady hand for whichever team made him a priority. A lot has to happen between now and the start of free agency, but at the very least, we now know a team that plans on doing just that.
