Latest report hints at Pacers trade to follow up Pascal Siakam move
By Jack Simone
When the Indiana Pacers traded Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and three first-round picks for Pascal Siakam, it was their version of a trade-deadline blockbuster.
Though the deal was made a few weeks prior to the actual deadline, it was still a major trade, and it formed an All-Star duo in Indiana with Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton.
However, because the Pacers made the move so far ahead of the deadline, they still have room to explore other potential trades before the February 8 date.
And one of the most recent trade rumor reports indicates that Indiana may choose to do just that.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, some executives around the NBA expect the Pacers to make another move ahead of this year’s deadline in an attempt to further improve their team. (H/t Tony East of All Pacers)
“Given Indiana’s newfound frontcourt conundrum and the notion outside the organization that [Buddy] Hield would eventually be moved to give [Bennedict] Mathurin, [Andrew] Nembhard, and [Ben] Sheppard more playing time looking ahead, rival executives believe the Pacers could make another trade to bolster their team before the deadline,” Scotto wrote.
Scotto noted the frontcourt logjam the Pacers now have following the Siakam deal, with guys like Jalen Smith, Obi Toppin, and Jarace Walker all sitting behind their new All-NBA forward.
By trading Brown, the Pacers retained Buddy Hield, but more importantly, they retained his $19.3 million expiring contract, which could easily be used to facilitate a trade.
The Pacers are still a rough defensive team, so targeting players who could help them improve on that side of the ball will be an obvious place to start as they look at more moves.
Guys like Alex Caruso, Matisse Thybulle, and even Dejounte Murray stand out as potentially interesting targets to pair with Haliburton and Siakam in Indiana.
Plus, though they traded three first-round picks in the deal for Siakam, only two of them were their own selections, meaning they have more draft capital to work with in other potential moves at the deadline.
There may not be another blockbuster, Siakam-level trade out there for the Pacers to make, but there’s a good chance that they aren’t done wheeling and dealing this season.