Pacers Rumors: Harrison Barnes Eyed in FA; Tyrese Haliburton, Carlisle Are 'Fans'

The Indiana Pacers are reportedly interested in signing forward Harrison Barnes in free agency this summer.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported the Pacers are committed to acquiring a "floor-spacing forward" either via trade ahead of the 2023 NBA draft or as a free agent. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle and guard Tyrese Haliburton are reportedly "fans" of Barnes, who has spent the last four-plus seasons with the Sacramento Kings.

Barnes averaged 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 37.4 percent from three-point range last season, helping the Kings reach the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

However, Barnes fell out of favor in the rotation in the playoffs, playing just 29 minutes over the final two games of Sacramento's first-round loss to the Golden State Warriors.

The Kings would likely prefer to retain Barnes, but that will depend on how much interest he sees on the open market. Sacramento could carve out up to $20 million in cap space if the team renounces its impending free agents, but there is an incentive to keep the good vibes going after a positive 2022-23 campaign.

The Pacers are slated to have around $27.3 million in practice cap space this summer. While the small market is not typically seen as a booming free-agent destination, the cap space around the NBA is limited this summer and that could open up a chance for the Pacers to take a risk.

Bruce Brown, Kyle Kuzma and Dillon Brooks are also among the impending free agents who fit a need for the Pacers.