While the Indiana Pacers are off to a rough start in the 2021-22 NBA season, with a not-so-sterling record of 1-3 after four games, there has been no scarcity of positive takeaways from the team. Playing big minutes amidst the team’s injuries, rookie wingman Chris Duarte has been one of the club’s main luminaries despite their losing record.
Across four contests, the 24-year-old is averaging 19.8 points. 4.8 rebounds and two assists per game on 41.2/44.8/100 percent shooting splits in 38.3 minutes per outing. While his playing time will surely come down to earth as injured starters Caris LeVert and TJ Warren returns, there’s no doubt that his rise will surely factor into how the Pacers front office maneuvers throughout the year.
Chris Duarte’s rise could push the Indiana Pacers front office into making some tough decisions this season
The Indiana Pacers, however, have an abundance of wing players on the roster who all warrant playing time. Problem is, of course, you can only play so many bodies on a given night, and thinning the herd could cure this problem while ensuring that the team can maximize their value and net some assets in return.
Chris Duarte, easily one of the early frontrunners for the Rookie of the Year award, will certainly be a fixture on the Pacers for the long-term. With his ascent in his first year, here are the three most tradeable players on the roster this season.
TJ Warren’s continuous absence for the Indiana Pacers doesn’t help his case
I’ve already tackled in a previous article why a TJ Warren extension is far from a guarantee. While that may indeed be the case, Chris Duarte’s surge may push that agenda further as the front office could very well consider trading him this season to capitalize on the scoring forward’s still-considerable value.
For this to be a justified act, however, two things must happen: one, setbacks plague his projected return to the Pacers this season, and at that point, the team has already been winning with their current set-up, and two, his return from injury is not only hoarded with considerable rust, but his placing on the team has become dangling.
While Warren’s return this season is still wanted by nearly everyone in the Indiana circle, he’s now far from having the same invincible status that he gained after his breakout season in 2019-20. The Pacers could have already moved on from him, albeit passively under the pretense of adapting to his absence, by the time he returns to the lineup.
Really, the only thing holding this back is that both sides have remained steadfast on staying committed to each other, hence this ranking.
Indiana Pacers Iron Man Justin Holiday’s skillset could make him a wanted commodity by title contenders
Three-and-D players are perhaps the most valued in today’s game. Fortunately, the Indiana Pacers have a bunch of them on the roster. While the team hasn’t necessarily benefitted from it yet, generating a low-ranking defensive rating to begin the season, that story could be entirely different once the team regains its full armory of talented wings.
Justin Holiday has consistently been one of the better role players in the league in recent seasons, and his availability, improved three-point marksmanship, and pesky defense are the main reasons. The Pacers front office won’t dangle him willingly given his value to the team, but external interest may tempt them into biting eventually.
`With a lot of contenders presenting ideal fits for the veteran swingman, they may be willing to break the bank a bit for a rental of Holiday’s services to augment their chances. The presence of Oshae Brissett, Torrey Craig, and the Pacers’ starting wings may make that decision a bit easier than expected, but the rise of Chris Duarte as a tenable heavy-minutes wing player could be the nail in the coffin, as long as the right offer is on deck.
Jeremy Lamb is the player most likely to be traded by the Indiana Pacers this season
Pardon for the redundancy, but what has to be said needs to be said.
While Jeremy Lamb has seemingly returned to form and tempered some of the ire he drew from his first two games, it still makes a ton of sense to gauge the trade market for the veteran guard. With Caris LeVert, now questionable to play against Toronto, set to return sooner than later, the looming lineup adjustments should push him out of the normal rotation, especially with the overlaps present by remaining keen on playing him.
For the sake of prudence, I won’t delve further into his lack of acuity on defense. Beyond that, however, with the right team, as I’ve said before, Lamb can still be a productive contributor on a nightly basis. At his best, he is an efficient secondary shot creator who can lead the second unit in spurts.
If LeVert or Duarte is tactically sent to the second unit, Lamb will essentially be left drooping in the rotation. With offense certainly not a problem for the Indiana Pacers this season, his normal minutes would be better off being tendered to defensive-minded cogs like Brissett and Craig to clinch some much-needed two-way balance.