Grading the Indiana Pacers’ off-season moves so far
The T.J. Warren trade
Less than two hours before the 2019 NBA Draft kicked off, the Pacers made some headlines by stealing away T.J. Warren from the Phoenix Suns. In a move that surprised many, the Suns shipped Warren along with the #32 overall pick in the draft to Indiana for some meager cash considerations in return.
It was a move to simply clear some cap space for Phoenix, but many were unsure why. Warren is still plenty young for a rebuilding team at 25 years old. Last season, he was extremely impressive offensively, shooting nearly 43% from long range while putting up 18 points per game.
The Pacers can use some more offensive firepower, and that’s what they’ll get from Warren. Essentially, he becomes the Bojan Bogdanovic replacement with Bojan’s departure to the Utah Jazz. With both guys being great scoring threats but less than ideal defenders, it feels kind of like a lateral move for the Pacers.
Still, getting a Bojan replacement on a cheap enough contract (just shy of $11 million next season) bundled with the #32 overall pick for essentially nothing in return is straight up highway robbery. Kevin Pritchard strikes again.