Which big man should the Indiana Pacers trade this offseason?
Rather than letting another head coach fail with a two-big lineup, the Indiana Pacers have to move on from the pairing of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner. While the two are both incredibly valuable players for their own reasons, they have not formed an overwhelmingly powerful frontcourt.
If Indiana is serious about contending in the Eastern Conference, they have to separate the two bigs and find help elsewhere. They desperately lack wing defenders and depth beyond the starting five. With two of the most important bench leaders set to hit free agency, the Pacers could be in an even deeper hole if they are not active in shaping the roster.
Trading one of the centers to clean up other areas on the roster makes the most sense right now. Adding bench guards and wings capable of playing the four spot while keeping Caris LeVert and T.J. Warren in the lineup would hopefully raise Indiana’s ceiling.
There have already been a number of trade ideas tossed around in the early stages of the offseason. The Pacers took a step back last season but have a good enough core to hang with the best of the East.
Do the Pacers value Sabonis’ offensive impact and ability to run the floor from the top of the key more than they value Turner’s impeccable rim protection and defensive flexibility? That’s going to be a difficult decision to make in the coming months. Which player should they trade?
Why the Indiana Pacers should trade Myles Turner
Myles Turner has always been seen as a high-ceiling player with a defensive impact that cannot be denied. While he was always expected to eventually make a leap on offense, that has still not come around. He’s hovered right around 12.5 points per game throughout his career while shooting a respectable 35.2 percent from three-point range.
His three-point attempts have gone up considerably over the last two seasons but his connection rate has dropped in that same period, causing some concerns with just how dangerous he is from outside. At the same time, Turner looked very good as a driver last season when his shots were not falling.
While his defensive value is absurd, the Pacers still struggled mightily on that end last season. Even though the offense was the highest-scoring unit in franchise history, the defense made it impossible to win important games. Turner would be a hot commodity around the league for teams searching for a defensive ace.
Turner may not elicit the same return as Sabonis but there will be teams hot on his trail this summer. Moving him allows the Pacers to retain their top three scorers from last season in addition to T.J. Warren who will return from injury. If they can get a wing defender in return for Turner, it would be a major win.
Goga Bitadze has emerged as the bench version of Myles, serving as a strong rim protector and floor spacer. He took a pretty significant leap forward last season when he was on the floor but his playing time is still extremely limited. Trading Turner could create more minutes for the younger Goga as he develops into a larger role in the NBA.
With how injuries have plagued the roster in the past, and for Goga himself, having him off the bench gives some insurance for a Domas-led team but does not force him into the starting lineup.
Losing Myles would not be easy but given that Sabonis is the better player, trading Turner makes the most sense from a win-now standpoint.
Why the Indiana Pacers should trade Domantas Sabonis
Domantas Sabonis is an incredible player on a team-friendly contract so trading him would have to be a result of a strong package in return. The two-time All-Star would be a welcome addition to a lot of teams across the league but especially those who lack a star in the frontcourt.
The idea of a Sabonis trade in return for Bradley Beal last season was worth looking into as it would have given the Wizards a big man to play with Westbrook and the Pacers receiving a high-scoring guard next to Malcolm Brogdon. There will always be a surplus of scoring guards that can elevate this Pacers team and Sabonis is the best asset to attain them.
It is clear that a package for Sabonis would have to be substantial. The trade for Nikola Vucevic by the Bulls at last year’s deadline is a good indicator of what to expect for Domas, though Sabonis is cheaper and younger so the value would be even higher.
Replacing Sabonis would also be much easier than replacing Turner on defense. Having Warren LeVert, and Brogdon on the roster keeps a strong offensive core in place whereas losing Turner on defense leaves the Pacers with no leader on that end. Sacrificing one of the four offensive assets while retaining the only defender on the team should be a factor.
That said, shipping Sabonis would only open the door for T.J. Warren and Caris LeVert to shine next season. The two have not played together so we cannot be sure the fit will work out but having two dangerous scoring threats that can get it done from anywhere on the floor is exactly what the Pacers have needed.
No disrespect to Sabonis but even with as good as he’s been on offense, he lacks the consistent outside shot to pose a real threat beyond the arc. Sliding Warren to the four and focusing on a high-paced offense is a good thing for a team that just averaged 115.3 points per game last season without arguably their best scorer.
So, who should the Indiana Pacers trade this summer?