Indiana Pacers: One trade with the Lakers that actually makes sense

With the offseason brewing to be one of the most eventful yet for the Indiana Pacers factoring in another disappointing season, it would be valid to presume that the team will finally be one of the teams on the forefront of the market transactions, be it in free agency, or in trades.

That being said, they are far from being the lone miserable team out there. The 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers, composed of allegedly the “greatest collection of basketball talents assembled in history” (Pelinka, 2021), have made a compelling case as one of, if not the most disappointing single-season team in NBA history after missing the postseason in its entirety.

The Indiana Pacers could benefit from a trade with the reeling Lakers

While the Lakers are financially hobbled to make a reasonable deal that can swing the fences for them in the offseason, they still have some assets that they could dangle to kickstart discussions. And the Pacers would be smart to at least consider buying into their looming fire sale.

Beware though: as typical of Lakers fans this time of the year, expect a barrage of one-sided trade ideas in their favor to fill your timelines, especially with their roster being too top-heavy in the salary department, giving them little to no wiggle room to make the proverbial splash.

Thus, upon a closer look into their payroll, here is one trade that the Pacers could consider with the Lakers that actually makes sense that could very well give them another piece for the future alongside the likes of Tyrese Haliburton and Chris Duarte.