The Indiana Pacers decided to move on from Roy Hibbert this offseason, and were able to ship him to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for a future second-round pick. Larry Bird made it clear in his press conference following the season that the Pacers were going to play at a faster offensive tempo during the 2015-16 season. Hibbert didn’t fit that style, and it was obvious from the beginning of the offseason that he wouldn’t be back.

Following the trade, it didn’t take long for Bird to move on and find Hibbert’s replacement. The Pacers are close to a deal with free agent big man Jordan Hill.

As @SeanDeveney tweeted, can confirm #Pacers and Jordan Hill are close to agreeing on a deal.

— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) July 9, 2015

Hill is a perfect fit for what Bird is trying to do with a faster offense, and will fill Hibbert’s shoes perfectly. He is much more athletic than Hibbert, and can finish strong in the paint. His midrange game could use a little bit of work, but is still fairly solid and he’ll knock a few down from time to time.

During the 2014-15 season with the Lakers, Hill ended up averaging 12.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He isn’t going to be the rim protector that Hibbert was for the Pacers, but perhaps the Pacers’ coaching staff can work with him and help him develop on that end of the court. Hill ended up shooting 45.9 percent from the floor overall, and knocked down 73.8 percent of his free-throw attempts.

This is a fresh start for Hill, and he can finally get back to contending for the playoffs. It has been a rough past couple seasons in Los Angeles, but the Pacers seem ready to get back on track after a disappointing injury plagued season of their own last year. Hill is one of the missing pieces that will fill out the Pacers’ puzzle, and is a big step in the right direction.

It will be interesting to see whether or not Bird is done this offseason, as David West also opted out of his deal with the Pacers. After the Hill signing, Indiana will have Lavoy Allen, Ian Mahinmi, Myles Turner and possibly Shayne Whittington under contract in the frontcourt. Paul George is expected to play a good number of minutes at the power forward position, but that certainly isn’t his natural position.

There is a good chance that Indiana will start the season with Mahinmi and Hill paired in the frontcourt, but Turner could force himself into the discussion. He has played well throughout the NBA‘s Orlando Summer League, and has shown an impressive offensive arsenal. Hill is likely going to be an every night starter, and is more than capable of playing either the center or power forward position.

All of that being said, the Pacers and their fans should be excited for the start of a new era of basketball in Indianapolis. Hill may not be a franchise cornerstone type of player, but he is going to put up consistent production and bring a lot more energy to the court each and every night. Expect to see him flourish with his new team.

Evan Massey is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.