Indiana Pacers: 5 under-the-radar players to target before the trade deadline

The Indiana Pacers, perhaps more than most teams, are gearing for up for what is tabbed to be an eventful NBA trade deadline for the franchise. As the team continues to cascade toward the bottom of the standings with a clear win-now roster, all eyes will be on how the front office manages its assets and make defining choices as they enter a delicate period from the lens of team-building.

Despite the added cushion of the play-in tournament, the Pacers cannot reasonably expect to make a quick turnaround ad work around the chances of better health to claw their way back for an unclear postseason ticket.

However, the ownership has made it clear that a return to square one is out of the woods, expressly preferring to retool on the fly and attempt to sprint back to relevancy in the much-improved Eastern Conference.

With major moves anticipated, here are four under-the-radar pieces that the Pacers should consider making a move for before the February 10 trade deadline.

Indiana Pacers trade target No. 1: JaMychal Green, Denver Nuggets

The call for a shift to a more modern roster configuration has been even louder this season for the Indiana Pacers. While their Domantas Sabonis-Myles Turner frontcourt has worked numbers-wise, joining the small-ball party has to be at the top of the list as they wish to make a refresh.

However, with the Pacers having heightened difficulty finding a taker both, a role player swap makes more sense. One player that they could target to fill in their lack of a versatile frontcourt defender is veteran JaMychal Green, who should be very attainable as the Denver Nuggets have largely reduced his role this season.

In exchange for one of Jeremy Lamb or Justin Holiday (with the Pacers getting a sweetener for the latter), who both fill a need for the Nuggets, Green could serve as a more suitable fit for Indiana’s personnel. He can play all frontcourt positions, and is a career 37 percent shooter from downtown who can space the floor in spurts.

Green should bolster the Pacers frontcourt which is still on track to trade one of their big men. Possibly adding him, in foresight, gives Rick Carlisle a reliable, no-compromise option to pair with one of his prized centers.