Indiana Pacers: Buy or sell on latest free agency and trade rumors

Should the Indiana Pacers engage in a sign-and-trade for Lonzo Ball?

One of the rumors which emerged around draft night was the Indiana Pacers’ reported interest in restricted free agent Lonzo Ball. While the team doesn’t have any salary to offer for the playmakers, acquiring him through a sign-and-trade is pretty viable.

However, after New Orleans’ recent moves, the odds of this actually happening appears to be slim. Acquiring Jonas Valanciunas from Memphis essentially gives the team enough cushion to not pursue Myles Turner anymore, despite the perfect fit. On a separate note, their expected pursuit of Kyle Lowry, Spencer Dinwiddie and other free agent guards makes Malcolm Brogdon an unlikely return that they would prefer as well.

While the Pelicans are increasingly unlikely to retain Ball, it’s also improbable that the Pacers will aggressively pursue him via a sign-and-trade. After all, going after him is far from necessary, given the fact that Indiana’s lead guards, Brogdon and Caris LeVert, are both fringe All-Stars in reasonable contracts who project to be critical components for the team moving forward.

Verdict: Sell on the Pacers trying to acquire Lonzo Ball via sign-and-trade