Indiana Pacers: 3 worst case NBA Draft day scenarios

Worst-case scenario #2: The Indiana Pacers trade a starter for a low lottery pick

The Indiana Pacers have no shortage of valuable commodities with relatively bargain contracts. The entire starting five—consisting of Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert, TJ Warren, Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner—can single-handedly give the Blue and Gold an equally valuable veteran if they make any of them available for trades.

Thus, trading a key piece of the team for a lottery pick as part of a bigger package, except if it is, well, in the 4-7 range, will be rather disappointing. After all, all signs point to Indiana maximizing its current core at least for the next four years.

If the Pacers indeed give the green light to trade a member of the starting lineup, an established veteran who can immediately contribute and give the team a better fit around the core can easily be acquired. Even in this draft, a low lottery selection doesn’t carry much better odds of adding to Indiana’s gauntlet than an outcoming player could.