The Indiana Pacers reportedly have their sights set on landing a new starting center in a trade this season. But according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the center trade market is quiet, meaning a trade for Indiana might not come to fruition.
"The center market in general has always been kind of quieter. ... We're about a quarter of the way a season through, a little more, and ultimately at that point, teams kind of start to get an idea of who they are, but the center market isn't overly ripe with trade prospects at the moment at that position," Scotto said.
Should the Pacers pursue a trade for a center?
It's not hard to figure out why the Pacers are reportedly eying a new starting center. Myles Turner left the team after 10 years to join the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason. And while Jay Huff is looking promising, it remains to be seen how much he can contribute for the long haul. Plus, if Indiana truly is interested in trading for a new starter, then it clearly doesn't trust Huff on a championship-caliber team all that much.
As it stands, the Pacers have been linked to three specific centers: Daniel Gafford, Walker Kessler, and Ivica Zubac.
Gafford is a solid big man who is an incredible paint presence on both sides of the ball and is a good rebounder. But trading for him would likely require moving on from a guy like Bennedict Mathurin or Andrew Nembhard to match salaries, and that's not at all worth doing. The Dallas Mavericks big man is good, but not that good.
Kessler is an intriguing big man, and he could be a good fit in Indiana. He is another strong paint presence who led the league in offensive rebounds per game last season (4.6). And he is headed to restricted free agency after the Utah Jazz opted not to sign him to a rookie-scale contract extension in the summer.
However, he is out for the season due to a shoulder injury, and the Pacers already have one impending restricted free agent in Mathurin. Either dealing with another one or including him in the trade would be too risky, and it might ultimately not be worth it for Indiana to do.
As for Zubac, he is the best center of the three and would be great for the Pacers, who are reportedly interested in him. He finished sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season and is in the midst of another fantastic season with the Los Angeles Clippers. However, according to ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel, Los Angeles may not be all that interested in trading the 28-year-old.
"As far as Zubac goes, the Clippers haven't been willing to discuss his future whatsoever, and the same goes for both James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. It still seems like LA is evaluating its position and attempting to find ways to add talent instead of becoming ultimate sellers at the deadline," Siegel wrote.
While crazier things have happened, trading for Zubac seems like a pipe dream for the Pacers.
In theory, it would make sense for the Pacers to trade for a new starting center as they look to re-establish themselves as title contenders next season. Huff is playing well, but he is probably better suited to be a backup big on a contending team.
However, it ultimately comes down to who the Pacers can realistically acquire. And the options either aren't big enough upgrades to be worth it, or they're not going to be attainable. So while it obviously depends on the situation, Indiana is likely better off staying put, keeping its assets and letting Huff run wild for the season, and then re-evaluate in the summer.