Zach Lowe sees the Indiana Pacers as a possible destination for a Miami Heat trade this season. It is just part of a prediction, but an intriguing one.
The Indiana Pacers are rebuilding their team this season — YES, WE HEARD YOU KEVIN PRITCHARD — which means this season is a de facto tryout for the future of the franchise.
Outside of Myles Turner, Victor Oladipo, and maybe the rookies, everyone else is auditioning for their parts in future Pacers productions. The leads are set, but the supporting cast could look very different a season or two from now.
In fact, ESPN’s Zach Lowe believes there is a chance we see a major change this season.
In his annual crazy predictions column, Lowe said it is a near-lock that the Pacers move Bojan Bogdanovic or Darren Collison, or maybe both. The two are only on the books for $3.5 million in the 2018-19 season. That’s $2 million for Collison and $1.5 million for Bogdanovic, making them prime targets in trades.
So what would a trade with one of them look like? Lowe thinks if a trade emerges for Indiana, it might involve the Miami Heat. He believes the Heat will trade one of their bigger salaries — Dion Waiters, for example — and use Justise Winslow as bait. In one scenario, Lowe sees the Heat moving Waiters somewhere and likes Indiana as a possible destination.
"Among my favorite versions of this: Winslow and Dion Waiters to the Pacers in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic (on a semi-expiring contract), Cory Joseph, and perhaps some throw-in to make Miami feel less crappy about punting on Winslow.That return would enrage Heat fans, but Winslow’s trade value is at rock bottom after a lost season. Richardson has passed him in the team’s hierarchy. Miami needs a true backup point guard, and Joseph is among the league’s very best.The deal requires Indiana to love Waiters, and that is where it might fall apart. That is where any deal exchanging expiring money for long-term contracts falls apart. Indiana isn’t touching the last two years of Tyler Johnson’s deal, at $19 million a pop. James Johnson’s contract is too hefty for most teams."
Indiana would be taking on another large contract in this or most scenarios where they trade away expiring deals, but that’s the nature of that sort of trade. But as with this example, the team trading with the Pacers needs to throw in some potential value in the form of a young player.
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One of the other ideas Lowe had as a possibility is the Los Angeles Lakers sending Luol Deng and Brandon Ingram to Indiana for both Bogdanovic and Collison, as well as something extra from the Pacers. That deal is less exciting, to say the least.
I would love the Waiters-Winslow deal for a number of reasons. The small forward (Winslow) showed potential last season as he averaged 10.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 18 games last season. Winslow still has a high ceiling even after his injury.
A torn labrum ended things early for Winslow and complicated the Heat’s future according to Sports Illustrated’s Rohan Nadkarni. As Lowe noted as well, his value is at rock-bottom as Miami and the rest of the NBA doesn’t know exactly where to peg him in terms of potential.
Waiters would have value for Indiana, but how they keep him, Turner and Oladipo together is hard to piece together as there is only so much salary to go around.
It’s important to remember these are merely informed predictions by Lowe, but it is worth keeping an eye on the trade block as the Pacers progress through the season. A player Lowe didn’t mention was Thaddeus Young. Thad is a potential trade target as well, but not for salary reasons. His $14 million this year isn’t too hard for a team to take on, especially in a title run.
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One way or another, the roster you see now for the Indiana Pacers likely won’t end up being the same one suiting up for games at the season’s end.