The Indiana Pacers aren’t a major market team, and because of this, they often have to find value where it is seemingly little or take advantage of a unique situation. In this post, we look at the five best trades that the Pacers have ever made in their long history in the NBA.
5. The Indiana Pacers acquire a still-effective Chris Mullin
After the 96-97 season concluded, the Pacers were not incredibly talented. They had just come off a 39-43 season with an abysmal offense (20th in the league). Out west was an older veteran player that had multiple gold medals and was a member of the famous “Run TMC” Warriors teams. However, injuries had begun plaguing his career. The opportunity was primed for a trade for Chris Mullin.
The Pacers traded Erick Dampier and Duane Ferrell to the Warriors for the aging star. The following season the Indiana Pacers went to the Eastern Conference Finals with Mullin as a central part of that team. While Mullin took a back seat in his second year, and ultimately was waived after his third year, Mullin played a central part in helping the Pacers become great at the end of the 90s, ultimately leading to an NBA Finals appearance.
However, because of his short time with the Indiana Pacers, the trade for Mullin could not climb higher on this list.
4. Mark Jackson becomes the Indiana Pacers’ rock in the mid-to-late 90s
Mark Jackson holds a distinction as being traded to the Pacers twice in his career, once from the Clippers and once from the Nuggets. Yet the initial trade is the one that comes in at number four on this list.
The Pacers had gone 47-35 in the 93-94 season and had an abundance of talent with Reggie Miller, Dale and Antonio Davis, and Rik Smits. Yet they lacked a point guard that could help them cross the bridge and get them into contender status. Out in Los Angeles was a seasoned, but still relatively young, point guard named Mark Jackson that had helped both numerous Knicks and Clippers teams reach the playoffs multiple times. However, the Pacers had an opportunity to acquire him.
The Pacers traded for Jackson after the 93-94 season sending some young talent back to acquire him. Ultimately, Jackson meshed well with the Pacers and formed a formidable starting lineup of Jackson, Miller, the Davis brothers, and Smits. This team was wildly successful in the playoffs making the Eastern Conference Finals in 93-94, 94-95, 97-98, 98-99, and 99-00, making the NBA finals once.
While they never crossed the finish line and won an NBA championship, these were some of the most amazing Pacer teams to watch, and when many people all around the country fell in love with scrappy Pacer basketball.
3. The Indiana Pacers turn a disgruntled star into two future All-Stars
Before the arrival of Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, the Indiana Pacers were in a precarious spot. Rumors had been floating around Paul George the entire season before, and George had formally asked for a trade in 2017. This left the small-market team in a rough position. How would they turn their biggest asset, who the whole league knew wanted out, into future value? As a Pacers fan, it felt like the Pacers were aimed to get pennies on the dollar.
However, there were a few underperforming lottery picks out in Oklahoma City that were flying under the radar for most casual fans. Victor Oladipo was on his second stop, after having been drafted and traded from the Orlando Magic. Domantas Sabonis was just off his rookie season, where he had largely been utilized as a shooter rather than the skills his NBA father had shown. However, the Pacers brass must have seen something because Paul George was ultimately traded to the Thunder for both Oladipo and Sabonis.
At the time, many fans felt that this wasn’t a great return. But ultimately, it ended up being one of the best trades the Pacers have ever made. Both Oladipo and Sabonis went on to make multiple All-Star teams. While the teams never had phenomenal success in the playoffs, there were constantly competitive which was much more than most Pacers fans had been hoping for after the departure of George.
Ultimately, both were traded away, Oladipo to Houston after some injuries began to derail his time in Indiana, and Sabonis most recently to the Sacramento Kings for up-and-coming star Tyrese Haliburton.
2. The Indiana Pacers trade for their best big man in franchise history
Was there any doubt that Jermaine O’Neal would show up on this list? Jermaine O’Neal was traded to the Pacers before the 00-01. The team had been wildly successful the previous year making the NBA finals and losing the Kobe Bryant and Shaq-led Los Angeles Lakers. O’Neal had struggled to get playing time on a good Portland Trailblazers team and had requested a trade to seek more playing time with his new organization. In response, Portland traded O’Neal to the Pacers for Dale Davis.
The Pacers were already a great team and organization, with players like Reggie Miller and Mark Jackson leading the core group. They had been in the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals regularly in the decade leading up to O’Neal’s arrival. Little did Pacers fans know they were about to get significantly better with their new acquisition.
O’Neal was wildly successful in Indiana, being a perennial All-Star for much of his time here. The team made the Eastern Conference Finals during the 03-04 season. Had his time in Indiana not been interrupted by his involvement in the Malice at the Palace, the 04-05 Pacers team was considered to be a serious contender for the NBA Finals.
Serious arguments can be made for Jermaine O’Neal being the first or second most successful Pacer of all time, with Reggie Miller being the counterargument. However, for a period of time, O’Neal was consistently making All-Star and All-NBA teams until suspensions and injuries derailed his time in Indiana.
1. The Indiana Pacers acquire Tyrese Haliburton, who has the potential to be their best player ever
Is this an overreaction? Possibly. But given the way that Tyrese Haliburton is playing there is a serious possibility he could go down as one of the best Pacers players ever. Time will tell what the Pacers can turn Hield into, this trade could look even better if the Pacers can acquire a 1st round pick in return for Buddy Hield.
Haliburton was a player that slipped on draft night, falling below where many had thought his true value was. He was drafted to a team, the Sacramento Kings, that already had a high-usage star point guard in De’Aaron Fox. Because of this Haliburton didn’t necessarily get the floor time he needed to show how good of a player he could be. However the secret seems to be out, in that while in Indiana, Haliburton is showing signs of being a perennial All-Star and All-NBA selection.
Currently, in the 22-23 season, he is averaging the following stat line: 21.6 PPG, 4.6 REB, 9.9 AST, and a 25.0 PER. His shooting percentages are 45% from deep and 50% field goal percentage. His effective field goal percentage is nearly 61%. Haliburton is certainly playing at an All-Star already.
The catch? He’s only 22. Generational guards don’t just become available, especially on Rookie-scale contracts when they are so long. This ranking is projecting that Haliburton will become everything he can become, which is an all-time-level point guard.
But that’s what being a Pacers fan is right? Always hopefully looking to the future.