The Pacers may have to lower their asking price for Malcolm Brogdon

Over the last few weeks, the Indiana Pacers have been constantly reported as being active in finding a taker for point guard Malcolm Brogdon, who is widely considered to be a near-guarantee to don a new jersey in the following season.

Some teams have expressed interest on possibly landing the veteran playmaker, and despite all the smoke in the lead-up to the 2022 NBA Draft, no deal transpired at all on draft night involving him. Still, the Pacers have loads of time to strike a trade that will serve both parties well with free agency just around the corner.

The Indiana Pacers may have to be ready to concede more in a Malcolm Brogdon deal

The reason why the Pacers have not had success moving Malcolm Brogdon so far may be hinged on the fact that the front office is trying to swing for a buck in return. However, this is certainly becoming less plausible, especially with how the trade market has looked like in recent weeks.

From the Christian Wood trade to the Jerami Grant trade, it has been pretty apparent that teams looking to shed salary have less leverage in negotiating a deal. Despite both players being bona fide above-average starters, their old clubs were only able to acquire late first-round picks in return.

Hence, that Indiana was trying to banner Brogdon as a potential asset that can give them a lottery pick, or as a trade sweetener that they could use to move up in the draft a few days ago, could have been an overestimation on the Pacers’ part. However, the effect of the Wood and Grant trades is not the end of the story.

Another factor that does not help the Pacers is the possibility that teams could have been looking at Brogdon as a net negative all things considered. This could be different for teams with more pressing needs for his services, but his extensive injury history and likely bloated statistics may not be something that teams look at as a good investment, if at all.

For Indiana to get what it wants while parting with Brogdon, the front office may have to either lowing their asking price for him, or include him in a bigger package with assets that could incentivize teams to take him in, allowing the Pacers to shoot for a loftier return. However, there is still the possibility that on team strikes out in free agency and could be willing to take Brogdon outright (hello, New York).