All summer long the media has constantly talked about the Indiana Pacers potentially trading with the Los Angeles Lakers. The deal as looked like multiple iterations, but in general, it usually involves trading away Myles Turner and Buddy Hield for Russell Westbrook and 2 first-round picks.Whether or not this trade should occur has divided Pacers fans for months as the franchise finds itself being between good enough to compete and losing for a high draft pick.
Let’s for a moment assume that the Indiana Pacers decide to trade away their veteran contracts to try to improve their odds at a high pick in a generational-type draft. How does our package compare to potential trade packages across the league? And not only that, what teams might be more motivated to move on from their veteran players in order to improve their own odds in the draft?
Given that the Lakers are starting to play better and may believe they can make a run at the title, they may be more likely to do a deal that they were a few weeks ago. But will that be a deal with the Pacers? We take a look at how the deal stacks up.
San Antonio
The Spurs have a more clear direction than the Pacers at the moment, looking like a shell of an actual basketball team. As such, moving towards better draft odds seems to be an all-but-garuanteed path for them to take at this point. So what could they offer the Lakers in return for Westbrook and two first rounders? NBA Analysis Network has the Spurs deal something like the following:
Spurs Potential Offer: Jakob Poeltl, Doug McDermott, Josh Richardson
Pacers Potential Offer: Myles Turner, Buddy Hield
When looking at these side by side, they don’t seem that different initially. Jakob Poeltl is a respectable big, but doesn’t have the range or blocking capabilities of Myles Turner. Turner may be able to better play along Anthony Davis and create space, while Poeltl may not offer the same flexibility.
And Doug McDermott certainly offers some three point shooting, but so does Buddy Hield. So the question would come down to how highly the Lakers would value Josh Richardson.
It is likely that Myles and Buddy are enough better than Poeltl and McDermott to make the Pacers deal more worthwhile than the Spurs deal. The problem will be that the Spurs are likely more motivated to trade away players given their current talent level.
Our decision: Indiana Pacers deal is a no-brainer in comparison.
Charlotte
The Charlotte Hornets are not nearly as good as they were projected to be. The season is largely derailed and it is unclear how much they can get it back onto track. They have some solid tradable pieces, but similar to Indiana, it isn’t a sure thing what would be the best direction for them to go.
There are many versions of this trade with the Lakers, but usually it goes something like:
Hornets potential offer: Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier
Pacers potential offer: Myles Turner, Buddy Hield
This one is a very close trade in terms of talent. Gordon Hayward is likely the most talented person in the group, but also has the most concerning injury history. The Hornets package doesn’t include a center, which has the potential not to disrupt Anthony Davis too much. However, the shooting that Buddy Hield provides seems to be something the Lakers need desperately.
The Pacers offer seems to have a bit more of a defensive focus and less injury risk than the Hornets, but comes with some financial risk if the Lakers would be unable to extend Myles Turner.
These two trades are almost a wash, but given Gordon Hayward’s injury risk, we feel that the Pacers deal has a slight edge.
Our decision: Indiana Pacers deal is slightly better, but may depend on the Lakers vision.
Chicago
A dark horse contender that has emerged in recent weeks is the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls are off to a truly terrible start compared to their expectations, and it is starting to become clear that they likely are not good enough to compete with the top of the eastern conference.
As such, they have a bunch of good players that have a lot of trade value to teams that feel that they could be contenders. There continue to be many versions of this trade, but one proposed by ClutchPoints goes like :
Chicago potential offer: DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic
Indiana potential offer: Myles Turner, Buddy Hield
In this trade, the advantage in terms of talent is definitely in Chicago’s favor. This is two all-star caliber players that they would be trading away, compared to the Pacers’ offer. But the question is really about fit in this case.
DeMar DeRozan would likely be a good fit, playing off the ball and with a solid mid-range game. He would probably seamlessly be able to integrate into the Lakers offense. However, Vucevic might be an awkward fit at best alongside Anthony Davis.
Our decision: Chicago deal is better if available, but will depend on potential Vucevic fit.