A 2015-16 Indiana Pacers season that includes Roy Hibbert won’t be a disaster. They don’t have to trade him. This isn’t a Metta World Peace case in which the player the team no longer wants will become such a distraction that it is severely detrimental to the team.
But it would probably be weird for him to stick around. Larry Bird has publicly said he was disappointed by the center’s play last season and talked about a “reduced role” for Hibbert. Even his teammate David West noted Bird’s post-season shots at something that made him look sideways.
Imagine how Roy felt?
So it’s no surprise the team is trying to finalize the inevitable divorce now. According to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times, Bird is hoping to move Hibbert to the Los Angeles Clippers by routing him through the Dallas Mavericks.
All the details aren’t clear, but it sounds like the Pacers would be getting back only Monta Ellis on a sign-and-trade deal while Dallas then re-routes Hibbert to the Clippers in a sign-and-trade for DeAndre Jordan.
Since the Pacers could just sign Ellis outright with the cap room they got when West opted out, this sounds like a pure salary dump to get rid of Hibbert. And it makes some sense for Roy to end up with the Clippers now that Jordan has left.
Pacers have called Mavericks about possible S/T with center Roy Hibbert involving Monta Ellis, Clippers and DeAndre Jordan, sources.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) July 4, 2015
Hibbert, his $15.6 million contract would go to Mavs, who would send him to Clippers in S/T for DJ. Ellis 4 year, 44 mil deal goes to Pacers
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) July 4, 2015
But Pacers also talking to other teams about Hibbert as well.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) July 4, 2015
What makes less sense is why the Mavericks would do this. They can just sign DeAndre outright with cap space. Perhaps they would get a pick or a bit player from the Pacers or Clippers to sweeten the pot? Maybe they are just really friendly?
Tim MacMahon of ESPN says this might be the reason this is still just talk and not a an actual trade.
Mavs source doubts 3-way SNT that would send Roy Hibbert to Clips happens. Indy working other deals. Mavs not motivated to help LA.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 4, 2015
UPDATE: A separate Los Angeles Times report is saying that the logistics of this make it unlikely since Dallas wouldn’t be interested.
The report does also bring up the notion of dealing Hibbert for Jamal Crawford, to which I have to imagine Larry Bird would just scream “TAKE MY MONEY” and then personally escort Hibbert to the airport.
"The Clippers could pursue a separate trade with the Pacers for Hibbert involving Jamal Crawford, whose $5.6-million contract for next season recently became guaranteed, but the Clippers would need to include additional players to satisfy trade salary requirements."
Presuming this — or a similar deal for Hibbert — goes down, the extra cap space the Pacers would get by unloading Hibbert wouldn’t do a ton at this point. Most of the better free agents have already signed elsewhere, though a few remaining options — or perhaps a random unsigned European I’m unaware of — could likely help fill out the roster.
And losing Roy might just be addition by subtraction.
Hibbert certainly has plenty of value as a defender, but if he takes the offseason comments and move to a faster style personally, he could become an unneeded distraction around the team who just bums everyone out as they try to build something new.