Indiana Pacers: 3 players to avoid in a trade involving the 13th pick

The Indiana Pacers have cheaper 3-and-D alternatives than Kelly Oubre Jr.

At his best, Kelly Oubre Jr. is one of the league’s most dynamic 3-and-D wings, able to shoot the three-ball with relative efficiency on good volume while being disruptive on defense with his length and athleticism. Despite that, the Indiana Pacers don’t exactly have a dearth of two-way wings and another one may just clog the roster, both in minutes and salary.

A sign-and-trade involving the Warriors swingman and the Pacers’ 13th pick has to come as a part of the bigger package, but the draft selection itself is already good enough to take center stage on a deal. However, Indiana will need to include a member of the starting five in order to match salaries (with Oubre projected to be in the 16-20 million range), composing a certain overpay.

Hence, the Pacers would be more logical turning down a Warriors sign-and-trade offer, which may force Indy to give up, say, Myles Turner alongside the 13th pick. With TJ Warren, Justin Holiday and Brissett already in the fold, rolling with a gamble in Oubre Jr., who’s bound to be expensive, may be an impatient maneuver on the part of Indiana.