It was reported on Wednesday, via Shams Charania, that forward Larry Nance has agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract with the Indiana Pacers. Nance is projected to be a reserve big who will make his mark as a veteran presence in spot minutes for a Pacers team looking to get back to competing in the Eastern Conference.
When Nance Jr was signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers last offseason, the expectation was that he would provide additional front-court depth with his ability to play the three through small-ball five. The positional versatility at a cheap price was a huge win for the second-apron Cavaliers. What was presented as an affordable, reliable contributor to the rotation was a dream that never really came to fruition.
Nance appeared in just 35 games; whether due to injuries or DNPs, he couldn’t consistently be on the court. Injuries have been a footnote for the past few seasons in Nance’s game logs. This wasn’t what the Cavaliers or Nance probably envisioned when he returned to Cleveland. The hypothetical version was supposed to be a real contributor in the regular season and, if everything went well, possibly the third big in the postseason.
While Nance didn’t make an impact on the floor, his presence within the team and the community always shines. That was probably integral to the team culture as they shuffled a lot of bodies on the roster around the trade deadline.
Nance will probably retire as a Cavalier one day. However, it is sad to think that his last real contract with the Cavaliers ended in such disappointment. Hopefully, with Indiana, Nance’s body can get right, and he can get back to being an impactful big off the bench.
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