The Indiana Pacers finished the regular season as one of the best teams, earning the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and securing homecourt advantage for the first time in five years. After last year's conference finals appearance, the Pacers are preparing themselves for what they hope is another deep playoff run, and that all starts in the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Things are looking bright in Indiana, and they will soon establish themselves as title contenders if they have not already. However, the Pacers have some important decisions to make in the offseason, especially if they want to ensure that the team is successful for the long haul. This includes potentially reuniting with one of their former stars, which the team must avoid doing at (almost) all costs.
The Pacers are favored to reunite with their former star
A little over three years ago, the Pacers made a blockbuster trade with the Sacramento Kings that changed both teams' outlooks. The Pacers acquired Tyrese Haliburton, who has developed into one of the best young point guards in the NBA, for Domantas Sabonis, who has led the league in rebounding in all three of his full seasons in Sacramento.
On paper, this trade was a win-win for both teams, but that idea may be changing. While the Pacers are enjoying their most successful campaign in years, the Kings lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the Play-In and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Sacramento traded De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs during the season, and some speculate that Sabonis is next to go.
According to Bovada, the Pacers (+600) are the betting favorites to land Sabonis if the Kings decide to trade him. While Sabonis is a highly skilled player, this would not be a good move for Indiana, especially since they would have to give up a lot to get him. However, a trade for Sabonis could potentially make sense under one condition--if Myles Turner leaves in free agency.
This summer, Turner will hit unrestricted free agency. As it stands, it is safe to say he will probably remain in Indiana, but there is a world that exists where his days with the team are numbered, especially since they reportedly do not want to pay the luxury tax. One of the biggest problems with Sabonis in Indiana is that the team never figured out how to best utilize him and Turner alongside each other. If Turner leaves, however, this problem would not exist.
Regardless, re-acquiring Sabonis would be a risky move, no matter how talented he is. At this point, it seems unlikely this is a legitimate possibility anyway, but it is still something worth monitoring once the season is officially over.