Pacers and Trail Blazers may have opportunity to trade 2023 picks
By Joe Lyon
It’s going to take a couple of pieces to trade into the top three of the draft.
The Pacers would have to give up quite a bit to make it happen, but it is entirely possible (I believe) that both teams could end up with what they want. Here’s how something could work.
It would be a steep price to pay for the Pacers, so many fans will feel that it may not be worth it. Losing Mathurin would be a huge issue, but if the Pacers want the number 3 pick, it would come at a high cost.
To replace Mathurin, the Pacers would get back Anfernee Simons, so both teams would end up with a young rising talent. The Blazers would get a significant upgrade at center and would still get to pick high in the lottery.
The Pacers would downgrade at center pretty sharply, but would have players like Isaiah Jackson that may be willing to fill the void and finally get some minutes on the floor.