The Indiana Pacers are thriving so far this season. Touting a 9-6 record through the first 15 games, the team unexpectedly finds itself in fifth place in the jam-packed Eastern Conference despite widespread forecasts of them heading straight to the lottery and bottoming out for the most part.
That being said, there’s a reason why the Pacers are still considered by many to look different after the trade deadline. After all, the team is still home to a bunch of veteran players who, speaking long-term, make sense with different clubs considering the team’s clear youth movement.
Hence, here are four way-too-early NBA trade deadline predictions for Indiana.
4. The Indiana Pacers aggressively try to trade TJ McConnell
Even when Malcolm Brogdon was at the helm, TJ McConnell was a seventh or eighth man at best. However, with the Pacers now riding with Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard as their firm rotation point guards, there’s only marginal room left for the pesky point guard.
The eight-year veteran is currently averaging a career-low 16.1 minutes per outing, his role having diminished in large part due to the team’s slew of capable backcourt pieces. However, to be blunt, even the minutes that he is currently logging would be better off tendered to other players.
In fact, McConnell’s role on the team is arguably more important off the court. Conversely, keeping him in his domineering role, even in short spurts, comes at a big opportunity cost—the cost of not giving Bennedict Mathurin the ball-handling role he badly needs to dominate even more off the bench.
For those reasons, look for Indiana to aggressively put McConnell on the trading block, much to the chagrin of fans.
3. Daniel Theis suits up for the Indiana Pacers after the trade deadline
After coming over in the Brogdon deal, Daniel Theis has yet to log a single minute for the Blue and Gold this season. After starting the season in street clothes due to a knee injury and reconditioning, the big man recently went through surgery that will keep him out indefinitely.
Injury or not, however, the Pacers were always likely to trade Theis. Even though he’s currently sidelined, the team will definitely look into ways to offload his contract.
Question is, while they would (and should), will they be able to pull it off?
Realistically speaking, no. Not only is Theis’ contract far from the most desirable relative to production, but his current injury all but ensures that most teams would prefer to bank on cheaper and younger alternatives elsewhere instead of trading for Theis upfront. The Pacers could include him as a salary filler in a bigger deal, but a bigger deal, given how the team is playing right now, might already be out of the woods.
Thus, expect Theis to somehow remain on the team beyond the deadline.
2. The Pacers become sellers. The Pacers become buyers, too.
Most, if not all trade bits involving the Indiana Pacers all the way back in the offseason had the team operating as definite sellers before the trade deadline. That is the likely truth in reality, but that does not preclude them whatsoever from taking the role of buyers simultaneously.
Going full-throttle on a winning cause, despite a capped ceiling in the present, is probably not the desired result of many in the Pacers’ circle. Still, that won’t stop the front office from improving the roster, especially when their options could be abundant.
One of the team’s most glaring roster issues is their lack of a bona fide forward to round out their frontcourt. Fortunately, there are various players widely believed to be available for trades. One name to watch out for is Rui Hachimura, who has seen his role diminish on a surprisingly competitive Washington Wizards team.
Between the Wizards’ lack of backcourt depth and the Pacers’ embarrassment of riches in that department, there are plenty of avenues that they can take to please both parties which involve Hachimura landing in the Circle City. If not, what about PJ Washington? Not bad at all.
1. The Indiana Pacers ultimately trade one of Buddy Hield and Myles Turner
Pardon the redundancy, but facts need to be stated.
Both Buddy Hield and Myles Turner have been tremendous winning pieces for the Indiana Pacers in their encouraging start to the season. While that is the definite truth, the other reality shying away from the limelight is the fact that their value as trade commodities is near peak level. Hield and Turner have varying contract situations, but both are pretty in demand around the league for their level of production and modern skill sets.
If anything, one situation where the Pacers could easily pull the trigger is when anyone offers draft capital in return. The odds of that anyone being a team other than the Lakers remain to be seen, but it is a major point that has been well-documented for months already.
Banking on the front office to pass up on the chance of a first-round pick in a ridiculously talented draft class next year actually has a good shot of actualizing, precedents considered. But if the parties involved continue to be stuck in limbo on the grounds of guesswork as to the future (with Turner) or on the grounds of the team hesitating about its direction (with Hield), betting on the Pacers to do the deciding and make the difficult but correct choice could be wise for once.