The Indiana Pacers are one of the league’s last embracers of tall-ball, deploying two big men on the starting lineup with Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis manning the frontcourt. Despite their varied skillsets, the pairing hasn’t necessarily been an ace for the team, which is yet to break through in the improving Eastern Conference.
While both big men possess intriguing skillsets of their own which bode very well individually, it’s getting clearer every season that the pairing has a definite ceiling that is quite difficult to expand, especially with Indiana being limited on what they can install around their one-two punch in the frontcourt.
The Indiana Pacers should seriously consider shifting to small-ball and breaking up the Turbonis duo
With an eventful offseason filled with opportunities to retool, the Pacers should seriously consider making the proverbial switch to small-ball which, in today’s game, is rapidly becoming a necessity and a proven formula for winning.
Fortunately, the Indiana Pacers should easily obtain great immediate returns for either big men, more so with Turner’s defensive brilliance and perimeter stroke and Sabonis’ All-Star level play as a post scorer and facilitator. Without further ado, here are four trades that can prompt the Blue and Gold to fully commit to small-ball.
Jerami Grant will give the Indiana Pacers’ team dynamics an instant overhaul
In this trade, the Indiana Pacers acquire forward Jerami Grant and the Detroit Pistons’ 37th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft for center Myles Turner and the 13th pick.
After departing the Denver Nuggets, Grant’s gamble paid off last season, logging a career-year across the board for the Pistons. Almost making the All-Star team and a finalist for the Most Improved Player award, the seven-year player tallied 22.3 points and 4.6 rebounds as the main force for rebuilding Detroit.
Acquiring him would be massive for the Pacers, especially with his defense matching most of what Turner brings to the table. Better yet, he can capably guard all positions while arming Indiana with another potent scorer in the starting lineup. For the Pistons, Turner brings spacing and rim protection and he should be a great partner for upcoming sophomore Isaiah Stewart in the frontcourt.
The Indiana Pacers go all-in for superstar point guard Damian Lillard
In this trade proposal, the Portland Trail Blazers send All-NBA guard Damian Lillard, forward Robert Covington and guard Anfernee Simons to the Indiana Pacers for guard Malcolm Brogdon, All-Star center Domantas Sabonis, swingman Justin Holiday, the 13th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and an unprotected 2023 first-round pick.
We’ve tackled this one before, but if the Lillard rumblings become a well-backed noise, the Indiana Pacers should do everything they can to get into the sweepstakes for the superstar point guard. Netting Dame, who’s can catapult Indiana to the upper echelon in the East, is just too golden of an opportunity to simply pass up.
Robert Covington will be a very good specialist in the roster as well, bringing high volume three-point shooting and elite defense to hoist the team back to being one of the league’s most efficient point-preventing squads. Meanwhile, All-Star big Sabonis and Brogdon will ensure that the Blazers can remain competitive in the West while adding flexibility for the future with the draft compensation.
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.
The Indiana Pacers get veterans and a young stud from the LA Clippers
In this proposal, the LA Clippers send forwards Marcus Morris Sr. and Serge Ibaka, guard Terance Mann and their 2022 second-round pick to the Indiana Pacers for center Domantas Sabonis and guard Aaron Holiday.
This is a big gamble for both teams, but the benefit to both parties cannot be understated. For the Pacers, Morris Sr. gives the team a lot of switchability on defense, shot creation, a very reliable spot-up shooting and physicality while Ibaka arms the team with a rangy big who can play next to Turner or be the lone center as a menacing rim protector. Also, playoff breakout star Terance Mann increases Indiana’s upside by a notch or two with his development as a two-way force.
Meanwhile, for the Clippers, Sabonis will provide them with a bona fide All-Star scorer and playmaker from the center position that has been one of their biggest weak points in the past two seasons. He should jump in as a great third option behind Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to strengthen LA’s title case next season. Lastly, Holiday gives them much-needed depth, especially with Reggie Jackson possibly being more expensive than anticipated.