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8p9s Roundtable: Were the Pacers smart to keep things together at the trade deadline?

By Ben Gibson

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 5: Thaddeus Young #21 of the Indiana Pacers goes to the basket against the Washington Wizards on February 5, 2018 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 5: Thaddeus Young #21 of the Indiana Pacers goes to the basket against the Washington Wizards on February 5, 2018 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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SAN ANTONIO,TX – JANUARY 21 : Dejounte Murray #5 of the San Antonio Spurs is trapped by Bojan Bogdanovic #44 and Darren Collison #2 of the Indiana Pacers at AT&T Center on January 21, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) /

Roughly speaking, what do you expect the Pacers to do this offseason as far as trades? Most of the roster is under contract going into 2019.

Matthes: I expect us to be active, and there are deals to be made. Collison, Bogdanovic, Thad Young and Jefferson will all be on expiring deals.

Teams love to pick up contracts like that, especially nowadays where everyone seems to think you either need to be a contender or disastrously awful. Indiana could exploit that to get some decent players to move them up in the East.

Another aspect in the Pacers favor, is several teams are over the tax already, and will be looking to move contracts. Ergo the free agent market will be very friendly for teams with cap space. So, in summary, there will be lots of avenues open to the Pacers to improve this team quickly.

Breece: The one guy that comes to mind for me is Terry Rozier. He’s a dog and would be a nice addition next to Vic in the starting lineup although I’m not sure Danny Ainge would ever part ways with him. Another piece that would fit well would be Otto Porter.His length and 3 point prowess would be a nice get but his contract is a different story.

Ultimately I don’t believe Pritchard will look to trade as much as taking a peek into the free agent field. This summer is where the flexibility will really come in. Most teams are strapped to bad contracts and won’t have the money that Indy can show free agents. This should allow the Pacers to pick and choose between the upcoming crop.

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Furr: I’m guessing that 2 of the 3 not quite expiring guys — Al Jefferson, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Darren Collison — get moved while they still count 10 million against the cap, as all are lightly guaranteed next year.

Thad Young is a total wildcard— will he opt-in? Do the Pacers want him to opt in? Does he get traded if he does? Would he re-sign here for less money but more years? It’s hard to tell. I do think the Pacers try to take on bad money for next year from some team desperate to make the next big free agency mistake.

Hughes: If Darren Collison and Bojan Bogdanovic’s options are picked up, those guys will once again be attractive trade options and would easily allow them to match incoming salary. It’s impossible to tell who will become available, but if LeBron James signs with a new team, that will open a lot of new doors and Indiana will surely be waiting to see if they can get in on the fun.

Last summer, Kyrie Irving shockingly became available. Maybe an equal player will want out of their current situation this summer?

Eggers: I expect Pritchard to again be aggressive in trying to turn cap space or a veteran into a draft pick. If that doesn’t work then I wouldn’t expect too much until after the draft. Once they’ve got their guy(s) from the draft, I think they’ll evaluate the roster and try to make some trades that plug holes.

Essentially, trades that make the immediate future better. One glaring problem is their lack of wing and guard depth and abundance of big men. If no veterans can convey into young assets, Pritchard will likely try to at least switch some things around. I would be very shocked to see all or even close to all of the current roster returning for 2019.

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