3 bold takeaways from the Pacers’ first 5 games of the season

2. The Indiana Pacers should drop the hammer on their veterans

Myles Turner and Buddy Hield are far from non-contributors. In fact, both players have the perfect skillset to compete in the modern NBA. One is a rangy shot-blocker, while the other is a three-point shooting madman. So why in the world should the Indiana Pacers actively look to trade them?

Well, for starters, they are definitely far from irreplaceable. Jalen Smith, Isaiah Jackson, and even Goga Bitadze all have specific quirks that should arm the Pacers with something more in the center position than Turner currently exhibits. Ditto for Hield who, while not easily replaceable per se given his effective volume shot-making from rainbow country, has currently overshadowed some of the team’s young players who need his minutes more, like Chris Duarte.

If anything, the team’s veterans need new homes, despite touting a harmless presence overall. After all, their in-demand skillset will be sure to attract a lot of bidders, giving the Pacers a golden opportunity to strike the iron and fast-track their conveyor belt toward a youth-centered roster-building strategy.

Fortunately, the rumor mill is pretty warm to the idea of the Pacers moving on from their veterans. Expect Indiana to be a very popular seller in the trading market moving forward with their barrage of useful vets in Turner, Hield, TJ McConnell, and Daniel Theis.