8p9s Roundtable: Are the Indiana Pacers Going To Make a Move?
By Ben Gibson
Name one player, coach, or executive that won’t be with the team after the trade deadline.
Furr: I don’t think we see any coaching or front office changes. I think Larry Bird has complete safety and autonomy to operate as he pleases, and this is Nate McMillan’s first year at the helm. It feels like Ellis has to go, but the Pacers aren’t going to give him away. He’s still a talented and useful player, just a bad fit for the Pacers, and a bad fit next to Jeff Teague.
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I think he and/or Stuckey are the most likely candidates (followed by GRIII), but I wouldn’t be surprised if Bird didn’t find any offers to his liking and decided to ride it out. The Pacers will be dealing from a place of weakness if they look to move either Monta Ellis or Rodney Stuckey, and Bird doesn’t strike me as the type to take a poor return just to make a move.
Washburn: Unless an opposing GM randomly falls in love with Monta Ellis, the entire squad will remain unchanged. Indiana will probably sneak into the playoffs as a 7 seed, where PG will harass DeMar DeRozan again. Unfortunately, George Hill is gone, and Kyle Lowry will average 26 and 10 in a Gentleman’s Sweep.
Padmore: I think a new coach would be more realistic if the Pacers’ struggles continue. Monta Ellis will certainly be in some trade talks, but he doesn’t have much value on the market right now. I don’t see a trade happening unless they make an extremely unexpected one. Which I doubt. As of now, I don’t see any moves being made, including a coaching change. If anything, I could see Larry Bird waive Rakeem Christmas and sign a Free Agent. I think the team will be in a position to make the Playoffs, but not as the seed they wanted heading into the season.
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Gibson: Monta Ellis seems like the most likely candidate. He has the most name recognition and could help a team that needs some scoring. This is even more likely if he starts making an impact coming off the bench. If Larry Bird is really in a win-now mode, it just seems likely that somebody will get moved, and while Ellis isn’t a hot commodity, he might have the best chance to contribute to a team — if he is put in the right situation.