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5 players the Indiana Pacers can look for in trades this summer

By Jonathan Matthes

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 06: Kyle Kuzma #0 and Josh Hart #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers on the court during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center on February 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. 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 Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 06: Kyle Kuzma #0 and Josh Hart #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers on the court during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center on February 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. 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 Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 06: Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 06: Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart /

If LeBron goes to the Lakers, the Pacers can go fishing for a trade

This whole section depends on one little thing: LeBron James signing with the Lakers. If that doesn’t happen, none of the rest of this applies. But if James does become a Laker, then a bunch of dominoes will begin to fall.

The Lakers shift immediately from a win-tomorrow team into a win-right-now team. Developing players have little value on a LeBron win-this-second squad. I don’t personally believe that, but LeBron does. The kicker is that after signing James, and a second star (cough Paul George, cough), the Lakers will still need to fill out complimentary veterans on an evaporated cap space. It makes their younger players expendable.

Kyle Kuzma, PF

You could fit Josh Hart or maybe even Brandon Ingram in this section too, but Kuzma would fit the best. He plays like a more consistent shooting version of Thad Young, and his development time-table would match that of both Turner and Sabonis.

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Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers /

Behind the Buck Pass

  • NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers Hoops Habit
  • NBA Power Rankings: Re-seeding the East after the NBA Draft, Free Agency Sir Charles In Charge
  • Pacers projected lineup and rotations heading into 2023-24 season FanSided
  • Bruce Brown sends message to Denver Nuggets after joining Pacers Nugg Love
  • NBA: Predicting the next jersey number to be retired by all 30 teams Sir Charles In Charge

    • But, even if James signs with the Lakers getting someone like Kuzma would be tough unless Luol Deng is included in the deal. Again the Pacers don’t have to actually acquire Deng to make this deal work.

    Say Indy offers Thad Young, a ready-made power forward who could start with James and George to form a rangy wing-unit. The Lakers would send Kuzma to Indiana, giving the Pacers a young starting versatile four that gives them scoring punch and pairs well with the two bigs.

    Deng  — who has two years left — goes back to Chicago where he’s beloved and can serve as a mentor for their young team while helping Chicago meet the salary floor.

    Chicago would also receive a pair of picks for each year left on Deng’s contract (Indy’s ’19 first, ’20 second plus LA’s ’19 second and ’20 first, or whatever). This move would add a starter to the Lakers plus around $4 Million in cap space which could turn into three veterans on minimum contracts that would want to play with LeBron in L.A.

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