Indiana Pacers trade deadline primer

Power Forward Trades

Kevin Pritchard wants a stretch power forward. The Pacers added a PF on the buyout market last year in Trevor Booker. The team trading for a stretch power forward does line up with what the organization seems like they want.

Trading Thaddeus Young ain’t happening. He’s too good and important to the team to be moved. Like Oladipo, that is the end of that discussion.

TJ Leaf could be a guy that gets moved, though. I don’t know what his value is, it is probably just neutral, but he could be moved in a bigger trade in which he is the “asset” the makes the trade happen.

Maybe something like this:

Patrick Patterson is having a down year shooting the ball, but once his shot starts to go down he can be a stretchy enough backup PF for the Pacers. The 2nd round pick is to make the assets moving a little more even since Pat Pat has a player option next season.

The Thunder get Kyle O’Quinn, who slides in as their backup center right away, and Leaf since they give up the best player. They could use the cheap youth, and the Pacers could use Patterson.

I don’t love this deal since Patterson has played so poorly this season, but that type of deal is a way to use Leaf’s salary and his leaguewide perception as a small asset to the Pacers benefit. A deal like that one could make sense, though. Especially since it adds depth at the power forward spot, something the Indiana Pacers desperately need behind Thad.

If the Indiana Pacers make a move for a small forward, they could slide McDermott to the 4 more often in small-ball lineups. Since he stretches the floor, I think the front office would like that. So if there is a trade made for a forward, it would probably be a wing.