Operating with a strong urgency to salvage a lost and disappointing season, the Indiana Pacers managed to make a positive turn to the future, speeding up their retooling by acquiring new young prospects that suddenly gave the franchise hope with the potential to climb the ladder in the following years.
Led by Tyrese Haliburton, who impressed in his Pacers debut, as well as Chris Duarte, who quickly proved to be a seamless fit next to their mega trade deadline acquisition, Indiana’s backcourt of the future seems to be set—but not without some major implications.
Lost in all the smoke is the status of Malcolm Brogdon, the team’s second-highest paid player and starting point guard for three seasons, in the franchise’s long-term plans. Under the cushion of a recent extension, he was off-limits on the trade market, but the Pacers’ commitment to his services may take a nosedive following the new youth movement in the Circle City.
Malcolm Brogdon may not be in the Indiana Pacers’ long-term plans
Team president Kevin Pritchard has already touted Haliburton as the franchise’s point guard of the future, adding that they intend to build around him for the next decade.
“We have a point guard of our future.” — Kevin Pritchard says about Tyrese Haliburton.
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) February 11, 2022
Added that the #Pacers intend to build around him for the next decade.
Haliburton may only be on his sophomore year, but he has already shown a very good trajectory towards becoming an All-Star level player in this league. Given how the Pacers surrendered a two-time All-Star in Domantas Sabonis for him, it’s easy to see why the front office thinks of him highly as a major centerpiece in Indiana’s plans moving forward.
That could leave Brogdon as the odd man out. While there is indeed some allure in letting both guards play to each other’s strengths, from where the Pacers are currently standing, they might be better off letting the 21-year-old take the reins and have Duarte complement him as a high-octane scorer on a full-time basis. There’s even an argument to be made that Buddy Hield’s lethal long-range shooting is a more conducive skillset to work with given Indiana’s personnel.
Brogdon possesses more than enough value to be an attractive target for playoff teams. He should not be a first or secondary scoring option on a contending team, but he could be a very solid tertiary piece for a club needing an infusion of talent in the backcourt.
He is frankly more suited to be a shooting guard operating as a secondary playmaker, but there is enough versatility in his game that he can cover a lot of roster holes for a team in the backcourt spots. He plays great defense generally, and although he is outmatched by speedier counterparts, he is a very tenable option to defend bigger guards and wings. Brogdon has also been Indiana’s closer for the bulk of his tenure with the franchise, though nagging injuries and intermittent absences have made him less effective in the grand scheme of things.
Head coach Rick Carlisle seems intrigued by the idea of playing Haliburton and Brogdon together, and while it is more reasonable than not, from a roster-building standpoint, the front office should venture into the trade market and see what they can get for him ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft, where the Pacers project to be a key player.
Given how much Malcolm Brogdon has become invested with the Indiana Pacers, dangling him would be a tough choice, but to cement their shift in direction, the franchise would certainly benefit a lot from doubling down on their youth movement and letting the heady playmaker move on to a better situation that fits his win-now skillset.