The Indiana Pacers enter Christmas in rancid fashion, and at this point, interjecting on their puny record is just the tip of the iceberg. With each passing day, it’s becoming crystal clear that the franchise has to make some big changes to the roster if they are truly committed to winning in the present.
In theme with the holidays, we listed down five things that should be atop the Pacers’ Christmas wish list this year. Now, we move on to the player movement front, where Indiana should project to be one of the best-equipped teams to make big in-season changes in this campaign.
Without further ado, here are five trade targets that the Pacers should have on their Christmas wish lists.
Indiana Pacers trade target no. 1: Nicolas Batum
I’ve always had a soft spot for cerebral, versatile players who do not need the ball much to make a winning impact. That’s Nicolas Batum for me. After stinking in Charlotte, in large thanks to the gravity of his albatross contract, the 14-year veteran has found a nice niche with the LA Clippers, effectively being one of their most significant role players.
Part and parcel of what makes Batum so valuable is his basketball IQ. The Clips simply ooze flair and apt decision-making with the Frenchman as one of their conduits on offense. He’s not a threat on one-on-one situations, but he’s an uber-efficient marksman (42.0 percent on threes) and a ball mover who is versatile enough to function as a Swiss army knife on defense, capable of guarding all five positions to varying degree.
The Indiana Pacers would love to have him on the roster as a low-usage 3-and-D type who is not a liability on offense. Trading for him will not be easy, as he will have to be a part of a bigger deal, and the Clippers may value him too much, even if a vastly superior player is the forefront in a return. Still, this is not out of the woods, a possibility that should be on most fans’ Christmas wish lists.