The Indiana Pacers will enter the NBA offseason will plenty of flexibility. Not only do they have substantial cap space to operate with, but they also have the necessary assets to make a splash via trade as well. One area that they will likely look to address this offseason is the power forward position.
According to a recent report, the Pacers are a team that could end up making a trade at the 2023 NBA Draft as they continue to search for an answer at the 4 spot in their starting 5. The Pacers will enter the NBA Draft with three first-round picks and could seemingly trade the No. 26 and 29 overall picks in an attempt to find a starting power forward.
Even if the Pacers end up using the No. 7 pick on a power forward, it would not be surprising to see the team add a veteran frontcourt player via trade. Roughly two weeks away from the 2023 NBA Draft, we explore seven potential power forward trade targets that should be on Indiana’s radar.
Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks
Sixth Man of the Year candidate Bobby Portis is one of the better role players that could end up being moved this offseason. With the expectations that the Milwaukee Bucks will reshuffle their roster after a disappointing showing in the playoffs, Portis could be an odd man out.
Depending on what the Bucks would be looking for in return, perhaps the Pacers should explore that possibility. Portis is a quality player and plays his role to near perfection at this point in his career. He’d be a natural fit next to Myles Turner and would solidify the Pacers’ frontcourt with his talent and overall experience.
Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers
Tobias Harris is an underrated player that the Indiana Pacers could look to explore this offseason. Even more so if the Philadelphia 76ers get to a point where they start to pivot toward a complete retooling around Joel Embiid.
As somewhat of a forgotten asset for the Sixers, now that he’s an expiring contract there’s no question that he could be appropriately shopped this offseason. Coming off a season in which he averaged 15 points and six rebounds per game on 39 percent shooting from 3-point range, there’s reason to believe that Harris still holds value on the open market. And he could make sense next to Myles Turner in the Pacers’ starting 5.
At this stage in his career, Harris is likely more effective in playing the power forward position. However, there’s a chance that the Pacers may not want a full-time 6-foot-7 power forward as their starter. And that’s where a potential holdup could come in a possible pursuit of Harris.
Though, if the Pacers could get the Sixers to attach another asset to this contract, it could be a worthy gamble for Indiana to make.
Julius Randle, New York Knicks
It would not be surprising if the New York Knicks entered the offseason with the hope of making another big move, likely via trade. And if that does end up materializing for the team, there’s a good chance that Julius Randle ends up being part of that change. Maybe the Knicks find their next move, but need a team to take on the remainder of Randle’s contract – he’s due $52 million over the next two seasons and has a player option ($29 million) for a third.
The Pacers could theoretically step up to the plate and eat that deal, for the right price. If the Pacers can add another asset or two in exchange for absorbing Randle’s contract, they should be open to it. And not just because they would add another future asset, but also because Randle is a good player.
He may not ever be a great player or a true No. 1 option, but he won’t have to be a lead man for the Pacers. And if he doesn’t have that pressure on him, perhaps he can even take his efficiency numbers to another level.
To be frank, I’m not sure if a Randle-Turner frontcourt would fit perfectly together but it’s certainly workable since neither necessarily need to be full-time paint presences.
John Collins, Atlanta Hawks
Could this finally be the offseason in which the Atlanta Hawks trade John Collins? With new management and direction in their front office, perhaps the Indiana Pacers could emerge as a team to take Collins off Atlanta’s hands.
The Pacers have been linked to Collins in the past and it would not be at all surprising if that’s a possibility that they ended up exploring again. Considering his trade value is at an all-time low, this is a move that could be viewed as a low-risk, high-reward gamble for the Pacers. Especially if the asking price is a late first-round pick and a contract. I don’t know if that’s what the Hawks would be asking for, but would anyone really be surprised if that ended up being the deal for him this summer?
Of course, the big question is whether the Pacers would be comfortable absorbing his contract, which is actually similar to Randle’s. Collins is due roughly $51 million over the next two seasons and has a player option for $26.5 million after that. If that’s a risk the Pacers are willing to take, perhaps they could be the team to revitalize and resurrect Collins’ once-promising NBA career.
Jonathan Isaac, Orlando Magic
If the Indiana Pacers wanted to take a big swing this offseason on potential, there is one potential target that would make a lot of sense – Jonathan Isaac.
From a strict basketball perspective, Isaac seems like a player that may be worth the gamble. He has an affordable salary number over the next two seasons ($17 million per year) and is expected to head into next season healthy – which hasn’t been said about Isaac in quite a while. Isaac is an extremely raw talent that theoretically hasn’t even scratched the surface of the player that he can be. At just 25 years old, his next two seasons in the league will tell a lot about his future in the Association.
Would the Pacers be interested in a two-year project? That’s essentially what gambling on Isaac would be. Then again, if Isaac is considered more of a project than a day 1 difference-maker, wouldn’t that leave Indiana in the same position they currently find themselves when it comes to the power forward position?
At the very least, making a move for Isaac should be a consideration in the front offseason this offseason.
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
Assuming that the Golden State Warriors end up re-signing Draymond Green this offseason, which is looking more and more like the case, there’s a good chance that Jonathan Kuminga is going to want out. It’s only fair. Kuminga wants a chance to play a big role for a team and there’s little way for him to get to a role like that in Golden State. That’s where a team like the Indiana Pacers could step in.
Even more so considering the Pacers are a team that can simply absorb Kuminga’s contract without giving up another contract in return. If the Warriors are going to try to re-sign both Draymond and Klay Thompson, they’re going to need every available penny possible. And trading Kuminga for a first-round pick could effectively be a way to open up more money for the team.
Even though Kuminga is somewhat of an unproven talent, he has shown flashes of promise (averaging 10 points and three rebounds per game this season). And that’s something the Pacers could choose to take a flier on. He’d be able to grow with this team’s young core and embrace a starting role, which he probably deserves at this point.
Tari Eason, Houston Rockets
Of all the players on this list, it’d be easy to categorize Tari Eason as somewhat of an ideal (and pipe dream) trade candidate for the Indiana Pacers this offseason. Eason is not a household name in the NBA yet, but if he continues to develop at the pace that many (especially those in Houston) believe he can, he will be soon.
Eason is coming off a season in which he averaged nine points and six rebounds on 34 percent shooting from 3-point range, but his versatility on the floor and the intangibles he showed are not something that can be quantified by statistics. He’s a winning player that doesn’t get credit for how impactful he is when he’s on the floor.
And that’s the type of power forward the Pacers should be looking for above all, a player that can fit in, do all the right things, and tangibly impact the game in a positive manner. And at just 22 years old, he’s just getting started.
The reason why he should be on the Pacers’ radar is that there’s a chance the Rockets decide to move him as they make the pivot to win-now mode. If there’s a chance the Pacers could swoop in to take Eason, who is currently sitting in a backup role on the depth chart (which could only be further complicated by adding more veteran players in free agency), they should absolutely explore it.