The Indiana Pacers Shopping Around Their First-Round Pick
By Ben Gibson
The Indiana Pacers are shopping their first-round pick in an effort to get help for Paul George.
Paul George and the Indiana Pacers need help. We know that.
We now also know that Larry Bird has put the 2017 first-round pick on the trade block in an effort to improve the Pacers.
ESPN’s Chris Haynes reported the news late on Friday night.
"In an attempt to secure help for All-Star forward Paul George, the Indiana Pacers have made their 2017 first-round pick available in a trade, league sources told ESPN.In what is considered to be a deep draft, the Pacers are hoping that such an asset would translate to the addition of either an established wing or established frontline player, sources told ESPN.There is hesitancy within the organization to relinquish the precious pick, but the team is on the losing end of six in a row and are only two games up from the eighth and final playoff spot."
All of that makes perfect sense.
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While Thaddeus Young is a solid starter, the Pacers have struggled to find a winning combination with Lavoy Allen, Kevin Seraphin, and Al Jefferson coming off the bench.
The shooting guard situation isn’t much better as Monta Ellis gave way to Glenn Robinson III and then C.J. Miles, but just as the frontcourt situation, there isn’t much on the bench that can be relied on night in and night out.
And with Paul George hesitant to sign a contract extension, it is hard to let a first round pick go. It appears the Pacers are serious about winning now and keeping Paul George if they are willing to part ways with their first-round pick in this year’s draft.
There isn’t anything else to the rumor as far as who they might target, but with the pick on the market, that could change very soon.
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Paul George wants to bring a title to Indiana, and the right trade could bring the Indiana Pacers a step closer to that goal.