The Indiana Pacers, being at the forefront of the trade market, or at least, the rumor mill, are no strangers to haphazard, baseless buzz. From ludicrous trade ideas and simulated traction on the player movement front, expect the franchise to continue being a victim of head-scratching trade proposals and the like.
Lo and behold, it did not take long for another laughable Domantas Sabonis trade idea to pop out. Once again, Bleacher Report, in one of their recent pieces, gave Indiana fans another proposal to jeer at. Heck, it may be even worse than the previous one.
B/R continues to force feed questionable trade returns for Indiana Pacers All-Star Domantas Sabonis
In B/R’s suggested deal, the Indiana Pacers send two-time All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis to the Boston Celtics for guards Marcus Smart and Romeo Langford, forward Grant Williams, and the C’s 2022 first-round selection, which will have a top-five protection.
This is another case of steamrolling a deal that is otherwise far from viable. Not only will the Indiana Pacers trade Sabonis only under the full angle of a rebuild—or a significant retool, for what it’s worth—but what they would be looking for in a prospective deal is one that will allow them to be better-positioned to start once again.
Marcus Smart, long been one of basketball’s peskiest and most effective defenders, is an easy fit for the Pacers, but deeming him as the centerpiece on an incoming trade return is a sacrilege on the what-is-the-value-of-Domantas-Sabonis front. Ultimately, Smart is more of a complementary piece on a trade as a part of a bigger package.
Naysayers may point out that the Pacers could still benefit from absorbing Smart, as he can be dangled again for a contending club, but Indiana could easily and directly do the same—but with more to gain—by dealing Domas to a contender by themselves.
Meanwhile, the other parts of this deal are far from alluring. Grant Williams is a good role player, but he has his jarring limitations, say, he’s a Boris Diaw-type without the Boris Diaw-passing and finesse on the post. Romeo Langford is a third-year player who has yet to possess the team’s trust to play him on a consistent basis.
The draft compensation is good, but only in theory. Boston should still make the playoffs despite touting a losing record in the present, meaning that their selection would be in the mid to low10s. There are other teams, like Golden State, which could package richer assets in return.
To conclude, it’s a testament to Domantas Sabonis’ ability and value that many teams are expected to show interest in him, but that shouldn’t prompt these puzzling undervaluation of him by the media. The Indiana Pacers are only open to trading their stars—they are obviously not open to ruining their already-fangless footing.