All throughout certain portions of the NBA, a manic game of musical chairs was being played before and during the league’s free-agency period. Superstars were changing locations as free agents. Others were forcing trades from their current teams so they could join forces with another superstar. The big names were flying about with big-market teams, or better yet, big-revenue teams, finding a seat among the league’s elite.



And the Indiana Pacers?



They couldn’t even get meetings. They couldn’t get meetings with the Tier I free agents, which comes as no great surprise. But even after decades of sustained success — and by success, we mean being a playoff team year in and year out — they couldn’t even get a meeting with the representatives of the second-tier free agents. Khris Middleton? Not interested. Tobias Harris? Thanks, but no thanks.



That’s not to say the Pacers struck out this offseason. Fact is, they did as...