The Indiana Pacers need to fix the defense heading into next season.
Last season was a tough one for the Indiana Pacers given their lack of defensive consistency aside from Myles Turner. The perimeter was not their friend on that end of the floor but this summer could provide them the opportunity to clean that up.
Luckily enough, there are a handful of incredible defenders that are reportedly available via trade this offseason. If the Pacers are concrete in their plan to tidy up the defense without sacrificing too much on the offensive end, they should strongly consider a massive trade to shake things up.
Even if Myles Turner has to be thrown into a trade to make things work, replacing him with the right pieces could negate his absence enough. While Turner is an elite rim protector with enough athleticism to guard the perimeter, adding wing defenders who can help defend forwards would help the Pacers.
Goga Bitadze, who had some moments in his second season, has proven to be a solid rim protector behind Myles Turner in his young career. Trading Turner and using Bitadze in a larger role may not be the worst option in the world.
Which current players across the NBA should the Pacers consider trading for to improve their defense prior to next season.
The Indiana Pacers should make a play for Dejounte Murray
The San Antonio Spurs are reportedly shopping guard Dejounte Murray after his fifth season with the team. Murray, who has worked his way back from injury in 2018, has been a steady force on the defensive end since entering the NBA. He has averaged over 1.5 steals in each of the last two seasons while adding 15.7 points per game in 2020-21.
His offensive production has not been perfect but with an effective field goal percentage of 48.5 percent and a decent free throw percentage over the last two seasons, there is a base to build upon.
Murray is far from a perfect player but his instincts on the defensive end cannot be mistaken. He does an excellent job of jumping passing lanes and using his hands to knock the ball loose, leading to easy layups in transition. The Pacers lack that sort of effort on the perimeter.
To strengthen his case, Murray is also a very good rebounder and playmaker given his size. He tallied 7.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest last season and was the first player in Spurs history to average 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in a single season.
Indiana struggles with rebounding in a major way so adding a guard who can contribute in that aspect would be a huge bonus.
Dejounte Murray has received All-Defense votes in each of the last two seasons and has continued to make a name for himself on that end. With his offensive game slowly coming along, he can be a very important piece on a playoff team once again. The Pacers would be smart to make an offer to bring him in.
Lonzo Ball would be a great fit for the Indiana Pacers
Long gone are the days of Lonzo Ball being the laughingstock of the NBA after his early struggles. Since leaving Los Angeles, Ball has been an incredible player on both ends of the floor for the Pelicans and is looking down the barrel of a big contract. The Pacers have two very good guards in the starting rotation already but shipping one of them for Ball might be worth the risk.
Ball is expected to hit free agency as a restricted free agent this summer so a sign-and-trade might be Indiana’s best shot to land him. Otherwise, he will have a pretty strong market in free agency and could have much more say in where he ends up.
At just 23, Ball has already grown so much as a hooper. His three-point shot has become a vital part of his game as he has connected on over 37.5 percent of his attempts in each of the last two seasons, a feat that seemed impossible after he shot just 31.5 percent with the Lakers.
Lonzo also took a massive leap as a free throw shooter in 2020-21. After shooting 48.7 percent from the line in his first three seasons, he converted on 78.1 percent of his attempts last season. That type of improvement shows his work ethic and desire to contribute.
He took over as an offensive threat last season with New Orleans, going for 14.6 points and 5.7 assists in his second season with the team. With his offense becoming a threat, Ball is a very admirable trade chip for the Pacers.
Defensively, Ball is even better. He’s an elite on-ball defender with strong hands that allow him to rip away steals at ease. He has averaged 1.5 steals per game over his entire career while also hovering around 0.6 blocks per game as well. Add in his 5.8 rebounds throughout his career and you have a very reliable defender in the backcourt.
With a much cheaper acquisition price than a player like Ben Simmons, the Pacers should definitely inquire about Lonzo Ball. He would be the perfect addition to the lineup.
OG Anunoby might be a fun option for the Indiana Pacers
If the Raptors decide to move on from Anunoby before his contract extension kicks in next year, the Pacers should be very interested. Anunoby is a strong wing defender with a nice price tag at $18 million per year. Toronto had a down year in 2020-21 and could be looking to rebuild a bit through the draft where they hold the 4th overall pick.
Indiana has a glaring hole on the wing with T.J. Warren being the only reliable threat at that spot. While Justin Holiday and Oshae Brissett have made splashes, the Pacers should not rely on either of them to be quite the player that Anunoby has become in recent years.
The last two seasons have been incredible from OG as he has emerged as one of the better young wings in the NBA. His three-point shot has taken a substantial step in the right direction, up over 39 percent in the last two seasons. His free throw shooting has also taken a similar leap.
Defensively, Anunoby is averaging 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks per game while contributing 5.5 rebounds as well. His 2020-21 campaign may raise his price quite a bit this summer as Anunoby exploded for 15.9 points but it would be worth it for a team trying to compete.
Sliding Anunoby into the four spot with Warren, LeVert, and Brogdon surrounding him would give Indiana a much better perimeter defense while moving away from the two-big lineup.