Indiana Pacers interested in trading for Cory Joseph
By Ben Gibson
The Indiana Pacers are looking to trade for Toronto Raptors guard Cory Joseph according to Basketball Insiders’ Michael Scotto.
Now that the Indiana Pacers traded Paul George, they can focus on building a team around Myles Turner and Victor Oladipo.
But unless they want Point Lance for 48 minutes a game, they’ll need to make a trade or sign a point guard.
That’s why according to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors are in trade talks to send Cory Joseph south of the border.
Toronto Raptors have discussed a trade that would send point guard Cory Joseph to the Indiana Pacers league sources told Basketball Insiders
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 2, 2017
However, talks have slowed down for now.
Source confirms that talks between #Raptors and #Pacers involving point guard Cory Joseph have slowed down. For now.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 2, 2017
Joseph averaged 9.2 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.9 rebounds a game as the Raptors backup point guard. He played around 25 minutes a game and started in 22 games for Toronto when Kyle Lowry was injured.
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Here is how Mark Deeks of Sham Sports described the six-year veteran.
"Without any one clear-cut strength,Joseph made for a good back-up option by virtue of his all-around game, headiness and discipline. Driving to the basket, finishing well for his size, shooting a good two-point pull-up, occasionally catching and shoot-ing from three, aggressively trying to keep tabs defensively with those both bigger and faster than him, and working the offence without thriving in it, Joseph has become a plenty solid back-up point guard, furtherbuoyed here by being Canadian."
Joseph is solid on offense but his defense is slightly below average. He could be a starter on this Indiana team as they so far have shed their older veterans without much of a fight.
Next: Jeff Teague, In Memoriam
It seems pretty clear that the Pacers are in rebuild mode as Jeff Teague and C.J. Miles are leaving the team and rumors say Thaddeus Young is on the trade block as well.