Indiana Pacers: 4 big trade ideas to push the team to small-ball

Andrew Wiggins’ newfound two-way prowess will benefit the Indiana Pacers

In this deal, the Indiana Pacers acquire forward Andrew Wiggins and the Golden State Warriors’ 14th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft for center Myles Turner and guard Jeremy Lamb.

Contrary to popular belief, Andrew Wiggins is a solid two-way player who thrives as a reliable third option on a winning team. While he’s indeed overpaid, his renewed impact as a defender, in addition to his natural scoring affinity, makes his booming salary much more tolerable than when he was in Minnesota.

With Indiana, he should form a potent one-two punch on the forward slots with TJ Warren. While he still scores a bulk of his points through isolation plays, the Warriors’ complex offense predicated on off-ball movement and three-point shooting are now his strengths. On the other hand, the Dubs finally get their hands on a floor-spacing big man in Turner and a bench scorer in Lamb while gaining some cap relief to fill out the bench.