Indiana Pacers trade target no. 2: Jalen Brunson
Dallas’ Jalen Brunson should easily be in the running for one of the best overlooked floor generals in basketball. Playing behind superstar Luka Doncic, his consistent play at the point guard position has been overshadowed.
That, however, makes Brunson all the more impressive. As the Mavericks’ de facto sixth man, Brunson has been logging a career-year so far, norming career-best numbers in points (15.5 per game) and assists (5.3 per outing). The best part? He’s shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and has only turned the ball over 1.6 times on the nightly.
Theoretically, Brunson could give the Indiana Pacers a much-needed boost at the point guard position as he is a natural floor general. Having him will also allow Malcolm Brogdon to play the two more and have a less tedious burden on offense. However, like Batum, it’s unrealistic that the Pacers can get him in a straight swap. A bigger package involving him would be needed.
Indiana Pacers trade target no. 3: De’Aaron Fox
Disclaimer: We are now entering the “grandiose” part of our Christmas wish list.
De’Aaron Fox has long been one of the players on many Pacers fans’ radars, and honestly, can you blame them? The Sacramento Kings’ lead guard is one of the association’s best up-and-coming guards. While his numbers have regressed compared to last season, he remains one of the few young guns who can truly be a foundational piece for a franchise.
Considering recent rumblings, however, the Kings may be actually be warmer to the idea of moving him to balance the roster, especially with Tyrese Haliburton on deck. If true, the Pacers should be among the first teams to engage with Sacramento on a possible deal, most likely in a win-win trade featuring Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
One of the NBA’s fastest players with the ball in his hands, Fox is a bona fide point guard who can run an offense as a scorer and a facilitator (career 6.2 assists per game). He’s not much of a threat from rainbow country, shooting just 31.8 percent on threes for his career, but having him on the roster should immediately boost the Pacers’ ceiling.