Indiana Pacers: 4 way-too-early NBA trade deadline predictions

The Indiana Pacers will not break up the Turner-Sabonis frontcourt just yet

Given how the Turbonis situation is a hot topic for many when discussing midseason trades for the Indiana Pacers, you probably had this one at the back of your heads in the beginning. However, I think that there would be no novel ending for the nth time. The Myles Turner–Domantas Sabonis tandem will live on.

The accrued urge to break up the frontcourt, given how much fuel this conundrum has been brewing in the last two summers, seems strong given the Pacers’ lusterless start to the season, but there’s arguably no compelling narrative to point to this tandem as the impetus for switching things up.

Turner has been quietly having a career-year, looking like Indiana’s top dog with more frequency than before. Given how the coaching staff has given him a more definite role on offense, trading him would be essentially counterproductive, verging on nonsensical. Even if he fails to keep his offense at the same rate moving forward, his defense is too important to dangle away.

Sabonis, meanwhile, has not been as strong last season at this juncture, but he remains as Indiana’s most viable All-Star candidate. Trading him in the middle of the year would almost be out of principle for the Pacers, despite his limitations, but also, there are not a lot of teams who can willingly field a good offer for him to make the front office think twice.

If anything, the Turbonis frontcourt question will still be a prominent shadow lurking, but the offseason will be the one that resolves it.