The Indiana Pacers passed on making any trades at the deadline, but was that a good decision? The 8 Points, 9 Seconds Roundtable gathers to break down what did and didn’t happen at the deadline.
The deadline came and went, and the Pacers didn’t make a move.
That was a ____ decision.
Jonathan Matthes: “Good” decision. For starters, all of our tradable pieces will still be tradable four months from now, so it’s not like we missed a window or anything. On top of that it’s always better to make no trade (and fight for another day) than make a bad trade. Indiana set its price, nothing met it, they didn’t sell low and were able to walk away with a playoff team intact. No shame in that.
Jacob Breece: Solid move by Kevin Pritchard and co. The Pacers have not only set them selves up for the future but have also exceeded everyone’s expectations in the present. They seemed to have found a star in Victor Oladipo and a solid supporting cast in their two young big men.
But, the most important part of not moving was the flexibility they created for the off-season. They have a solid young core, the right cap space and good contracts that should get Pacer hopeful excited for the future.
Will Furr: That was a safe decision. It should be noted: Darren Collison’s injury might’ve changed the trajectory of this whole thing. Either way, the Pacers played it safe. They could’ve taken on bad money hoping for picks, but it seems like no one was really willing to toss around a first.
They could’ve tried to go for a Hail Mary in the form of Kemba Walker, but he doesn’t fit the timeline with Oladipo/Turner/Sabonis. In the end, the move — or lack thereof— was fine. DC, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Al Jeff will all still be expiring assets next year, due to their minimal guarantee. Pritch might be betting that cap space is more valuable this summer than now; if he is, I think I agree with him
Smart. Kevin Pritchard and friends have gotten themselves in a beautiful cap situation and preserving that heading into free agency could allow them to add a significant piece over the summer —whether it be through a signing or trade.
Dylan Hughes: Smart. Kevin Pritchard and friends have gotten themselves in a beautiful cap situation and preserving that heading into free agency could allow them to add a significant piece over the summer —whether it be through a signing or trade.
The type of trade Indiana was trying to make was shipping out partially guaranteed money for next season in exchange for fully guaranteed money and a draft pick. I would have been fine with them making a deal like that, even if it were a player like Kenneth Faried or DeMarre Carroll. Indiana will be heading into free agency this summer with no bad contracts on the books.
So even if they can’t make a big signing, they could be in the conversation for big trades.
Ryan Eggers: Excellent. I was pretty intrigued by some of the supposed trades in the rumor mill, but it was clear that Pritchard wasn’t too pressed to make a deal right now. He was patient and didn’t see a deal worth taking.
Based on his judgment so far as the GM, I’ll trust his patience and see what he does going into this offseason. A winning trade is a best-case scenario, but that best pales in comparison to how worse a worst-case scenario of losing a trade would have been.
If they had taken on a bad contract without getting decent assets or dumped a veteran for pennies on the dollar, that would put a meaningful dent in their current rebuild. Given the way the market played out this year, it seems like the best decision was to not take that risk.
Were there any of the rumored trades you wished the Pacers made? Were there any that made you considering kidnapping Kevin Pritchard to stop from happening?
Matthes: I liked the thought of trading for Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson. I like Nance as a player he plays hard and makes winning plays. Clarkson would’ve been a reliable bench scorer come playoff time and still be a moveable piece in the future.
But outside of that, I vehemently disliked any trade that sent away our starters for washed up vets/a mediocre pick/ or other useless parts that don’t make the team better now or in the future. Clarkson and Nance had demonstrated they could play basketball, not all the rumors had players like that.
Breece: I’m a believer in Emmanuel Mudiay and really wanted Pritchard to take a stab at the young point guard. He has great size and has shown flashes but is still turnover prone and inconsistent.
Considering what Orlando got in return for Elfrid Payton (2nd rd pick) that might have been worth a flier as well. Although many of my colleagues were pushing for a Demarre Carroll trade, I wouldn’t have been as excited.
Furr: Elfrid Payton went for a measly 2nd round pick? Yes, please. However, the Pacers currently only have the worse half of a protected 2nd to offer. I also wouldn’t have minded taking on Kenneth Faried’s contact if it netted a first and/or Emmanuel Mudiay.
I was psyched about the prospect of both of them in my 2nd contract guys piece though. For trades, I’d want to stop? I didn’t hear of anything that made me cringe. I would’ve been upset had they taken on any of the truly awful/long bad money out there — Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams, Evan Turner, that type.
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Hughes: There weren’t really many rumors, mostly just players the Pacers were linked to. The two on deadline day–DeMarre Carroll and Kenneth Faried — would have been fine as long as Indiana got a first round pick in return. Both— but especially Carroll— could possibly contribute this and next season but have fairly big expiring deals next season.
I wouldn’t have kidnapped Pritchard to stop him from making a Kemba Walker trade, but the other contracts Indiana would have to take back to make that deal would kill their cap flexibility moving forward. It’s not the time to make a big deal like that.
Eggers: Early Thursday morning, Woj reported that the Pacers were looking to take on a bad contract in exchange for a first-round pick, as well as sending out Al Jefferson in the deal. That’s the exact kind of trade that I wanted the Pacers to make this deadline. They had the cap space and Al Jefferson hasn’t been able to contribute, so why not?
Having two first-round picks in the 2018 draft would be key in this rebuild, especially if Pritchard can perform some wizardry a la his tenure with the Blazers with those assets. It didn’t happen, which is probably a result of no team having the right pick and bad contract, so I’m glad Pritchard held tight. It would’ve sucked to get locked into a bad deal for a late 20s pick. I just wish the right scenario came into play.
As far as bad rumors, there weren’t many, though in a vacuum I wouldn’t have been absolutely thrilled with the Faried or Carroll trades, depending on what their finalized versions would’ve looked like. Just didn’t seem like either moved much of a needle in terms of rebuild or in terms of improving this year’s roster.
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.
Which member of the 8 Points, 9 Seconds staff would you trade, and what would you want in return?
Matthes: All of us for Adrian Wojnarowski. (Editor’s note: We’ll need a lot of cash considerations, too.)
Breece: I wouldn’t trade a single one😉 unless I was offered a Lance jersey, then take your pick.
Furr: It would have to be Ryan Eggers, right? He’s been on a hot streak so far this season (something like 6 straight awesome content filled weeks). It might be time to sell high! Eggers is a young talent, but it seems like he craves bright lights outside of Indiana.
Rather than take an L and let a talented young writer walk for nothing, GM Ben Gibson should look to secure some kind of return for him. Ideally, we’d look for young players who value the tradition 8 Points, 9 Seconds represents, and who would treat Indiana like home accordingly.
Hughes: Ryan Eggers has risen from the dead, turning his trade value from “an old ham sandwich” to “a decent writer that may only sometimes annoy you.” Selling high on Eggers would be a smart move for 8 Points, 9 Seconds.
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Eggers: I’d trade anyone on the squad for Chris Denari and his home water system. With Kinetico, I can trust that Denari will always bring soft water to the team, whether it be for showering, cooking or drinking. That’s the kind of asset that’s invaluable to a young team on the rise.