Editing Indiana Pacers (section)

===2017–2021: The Oladipo and Sabonis era===
On June 30, 2017, [[Paul George]] was traded to the [[Oklahoma City Thunder]] for [[Victor Oladipo]] and [[Domantas Sabonis]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nba.com/news/paul-george-traded-oklahoma-city-thunder-official-release|title=Oklahoma City Thunder trade for All-Star swingman Paul George|publisher=NBA|date=July 7, 2017|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> The Pacers received heavy criticism for this trade, but it would eventually prove to be the best season of Oladipo's career, with him showing an increase in points, steals, assists, rebounds, [[free throw]] percentage, [[field goal percentage]], and [[Three-point field goal|three-point]] percentage, which resulted to winning the [[NBA Most Improved Player Award]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Zucker |first1=Joseph |title=Victor Oladipo Wins 2018 NBA Most Improved Player of the Year Award |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2776585-victor-oladipo-wins-2018-nba-most-improved-player-of-the-year-award |website=Bleacher Report |access-date=January 4, 2019 |date=June 26, 2018}}</ref> Sabonis also showed an increase in points, rebounds, and assists while leading the Pacers in rebounding during the [[2017–18 NBA season|2017–18 season]]. Oladipo would be selected as a [[2018 NBA All-Star Game|2018 NBA All-Star]] reserve,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-all-star-game-2018-full-rosters-warriors-get-four-in-kemba-in-for-kristaps/|title=NBA All-Star Game 2018 full rosters: Warriors get four in; Kemba in for Kristaps|work=CBS Sports|date=February 8, 2018|access-date=November 30, 2022|first1=Colin|last1=Ward-Henninger|first2=Jack|last2=Maloney}}</ref> while Sabonis was selected to represent Team World in the [[Rising Stars Challenge]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2018-nba-rising-stars-challenge-rosters-big-presence-for-lakers-and-76ers/|title=2018 NBA Rising Stars Challenge rosters: Big presence for Lakers and 76ers|last=Barnewell|first=Chris|work=CBS Sports|date=January 24, 2018|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> Oladipo ended the season leading the NBA in steals per game. The team welcomed back former Pacer [[Darren Collison]] as well as newcomers [[Bojan Bogdanović]] and [[Cory Joseph]]. The Pacers ended the season with a 48–34 record, which earned them the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Their record was a six–game improvement from last season with Paul George. The Pacers faced the [[2017–18 Cleveland Cavaliers season|Cleveland Cavaliers]] in the first round of the [[2018 NBA playoffs]] for the second year in a row. After taking a 2–1 series lead, the Pacers fell to the Cavaliers in seven games.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Eppers |first1=Matt |title=Exhausted LeBron James after Cavs' seven–game series win over Pacers: 'I'm burnt right now' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/playoffs/2018/04/29/lebron-james-exhausted-cavaliers-pacers-tough-seven-game-series/563728002/ |website=USA Today |access-date=March 23, 2019 |date=April 30, 2018}}</ref>

The [[2018-19 Indiana Pacers season|2018–2019 season]] welcomed new players [[Tyreke Evans]], [[Wesley Matthews]], and [[Doug McDermott]]. Oladipo would be selected as an All-Star reserve again for the [[2019 NBA All-Star Game|2019 game]]. However, while playing against the Toronto Raptors on January&nbsp;23, 2019, he left the game with a [[Quadriceps tendon rupture|ruptured quad tendon]], and he was ruled out for the rest of the season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pacers star Victor Oladipo leaves Wednesday's game with serious knee injury |url=https://www.wthr.com/article/pacers-star-victor-oladipo-leaves-wednesdays-game-serious-knee-injury |website=13 WTHR Indianapolis |access-date=March 23, 2019 |date=January 23, 2019 |archive-date=March 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323230240/https://www.wthr.com/article/pacers-star-victor-oladipo-leaves-wednesdays-game-serious-knee-injury |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Wojnarowski|first=Adrian|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25835499/victor-oladipo-indiana-pacers-stretchered-serious-knee-injury|title=Victor Oladipo stretchered off in serious knee injury|work=ESPN.com|date=January 23, 2019|access-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref> Regardless, the Pacers again finished the season going 48–34 and secured a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive time on March&nbsp;22,<ref>{{cite web |title=NBA India Games: Indiana Pacers clinch 2019 playoff berth |url=https://in.nba.com/news/nba-india-games-indiana-pacers-clinch-2019-playoffspot/129g7jubbjw1n1179f4wkiwwik |website=in.nba.com |access-date=March 23, 2019 |date=March 22, 2019}}</ref> but were swept in the first round of the [[2019 NBA playoffs|2019 playoffs]] by the [[Boston Celtics]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2019-nba-playoffs-celtics-vs-pacers-first-round-series-results-boston-completes-sweep-of-indiana/|title=2019 NBA Playoffs Celtics vs. Pacers first-round series results: Boston completes sweep of Indiana|work=CBS Sports|last=Kaskey-Blomain|first=Michael|date=April 22, 2019|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

After an active 2019 off–season, the Pacers fielded four new starters on opening night. Holdover Myles Turner was joined by reserve–turned–starter Domantas Sabonis, as well as new acquisitions [[Malcolm Brogdon]], [[T.&nbsp;J. Warren]], and [[Jeremy Lamb]], who was slated to become a top reserve once all–star guard Victor Oladipo returned from injury.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/IND/2020_transactions.html|title=2019-20 Indiana Pacers Transactions|publisher=Basketball Reference|access-date=December 1, 2022}}</ref> The Pacers also signed reserves [[T.&nbsp;J. McConnell]] and [[Justin Holiday]], with [[Justin Holiday|Holiday]] joining his younger brother [[Aaron Holiday]] on the team. The Pacers also saw three players with the name "T.&nbsp;J." take the court in [[T. J. McConnell|McConnell]], [[T. J. Warren|Warren]], and [[T. J. Leaf|Leaf]]. in Following an 0–3 start to the season, the Pacers held a 26–15 record halfway through the season, ranking them fifth place in the Eastern Conference. [[Domantas Sabonis]] averaged a career–best 18.5&nbsp;points, 12.4&nbsp;rebounds, and 5&nbsp;assists a game. Subsequently, Sabonis was named an [[2020 NBA All-Star Game|NBA All-Star]] for the first time in his career.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonyeast/2020/02/05/indiana-pacers-nba-all-star-domantas-sabonis/?sh=559a207c1199|title=The Indiana Pacers Are Well Represented At All-Star Weekend By Domantas Sabonis|date=February 5, 2020|work=Forbes|last=East|first=Tony|access-date=December 1, 2022}}</ref> Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to a foot injury and would miss the postseason.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/nba/2020/07/24/domantas-sabonis-foot-injury-nba-restart-orlando-bubble|title=Pacers C Domantas Sabonis Has 'Significant' Foot Injury, to Leave Bubble for Treatment|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=July 24, 2020|access-date=December 1, 2022|last=Selbe|first=Nick}}</ref>

Following the [[suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season]], the Pacers were one of the 22 teams invited to the [[2020 NBA Bubble|NBA Bubble]] to participate in the final eight games of the regular season. The Pacers would finish the [[2019–20 NBA season|2019–2020 regular season]] with a record of 45–28 and headed into the playoffs as the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference. On August 12, 2020, the team announced that they had extended Nate McMillan's contract.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29645044/sources-pacers-coach-nate-mcmillan-agrees-contract-extension|title=Pacers coach Nate McMillan agrees to 1-year contract extension|date=August 12, 2020|access-date=December 7, 2022|last=Wojnarowski|first=Adrian|work=ESPN}}</ref> They then matched up with the fifth seeded Miami Heat where they would go on to lose the first-round series 4–0 which subsequently ended their [[2019–20 Indiana Pacers season|2019–2020 season]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/article/2020/06/04/board-of-governors-approves-nba-return-official-release|title = NBA Board of Governors approves competitive format to restart 2019-20 season with 22 teams returning to play| website=[[NBA.com]] }}</ref>

Following the loss to the Heat, the Pacers parted ways with head coach Nate McMillan, despite the recent extension.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pacers fire coach Nate McMillan after 4 seasons on job|url=https://www.nba.com/news/pacers-fire-coach-nate-mcmillan|access-date=October 20, 2020|website=NBA.com|publisher=NBA|date=August 26, 2020}}</ref> On October&nbsp;20, 2020, it was announced that former Toronto Raptors assistant coach, [[Nate Bjorkgren]], had signed a multi-year deal to become the next head coach.<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 20, 2020|title=Sources: Pacers to hire Bjorkgren as head coach|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30154580/sources-indiana-pacers-hire-nate-bjorkgren-head-coach|access-date=October 20, 2020|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}</ref> On January&nbsp;16, 2021, [[Victor Oladipo]] was traded to the [[Houston Rockets]] as a part of a four-team deal that sent [[James Harden]] to the [[Brooklyn Nets]] and [[Caris LeVert]] to Indiana.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rockets Announce Revised Four-Team Trade|url=https://www.nba.com/rockets/news/rockets-announce-revised-four-team-trade|website=NBA.com|access-date=January 16, 2021|date=January 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Pacers Acquire Caris LeVert|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/pacers-acquire-caris-levert|website=NBA.com|access-date=January 16, 2021}}</ref> Sabonis would go on to earn his second [[2021 NBA All-Star Game|NBA All-Star]] appearance during the [[2020–21 Indiana Pacers season|2020-2021 Pacers season]]. The team also signed [[Oshae Brissett]] this year. The season would end in the 2021 [[NBA play-in tournament]] in a loss to the [[Washington Wizards]]. After missing the [[2021 NBA Playoffs]], and amid reported locker room tension, the Pacers fired Bjorkgren on June&nbsp;9, 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/nba/news/why-the-pacers-fired-coach-nate-bjorkgren/1pva9s4w9qjff1ubjhf163yv8n|title=Why the Pacers fired coach Nate Bjorkgren after just one season|work=Sporting News|date=June 10, 2021|access-date=December 1, 2022|last=Camenker|first=Jacob}}</ref>