Pacers must make trade to reunite Rick Carlisle with one of his favorites

The Indiana Pacers head into the 2024-25 NBA season with high expectations for the first time in a long time. Last season, they appeared in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014. And although they got swept by the eventual champion Boston Celtics, the Pacers gave them a challenge, a sentiment even Joe Mazzulla seems to agree with.

Currently, it seems the team will run it back with the same roster for the most part. In the offseason, they re-signed Pascal Siakam, Obi Toppin, and James Johnson. Additionally, they extended Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell to long-term extensions but made very few external moves.

All things considered, banking on chemistry and natural progression may prove to be the right call. At the very least, this Pacers roster deserves to give it another go after their impressive campaign in 2023-24. However, the Pacers have flaws on the roster that were not addressed this offseason. Most notably, their weaknesses on defense remain untouched less than a month before training camp.

If the Pacers want to take it to the next level and become legitimate title contenders immediately, it is crucial that they add more defense to the roster. Luckily for them, the perfect solution may be just a call away.

The Pacers must trade for Dorian Finney-Smith from the Brooklyn Nets

Brian Lewis of the New York Post recently suggested that the Nets may be willing to trade 3-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith (subscription required). The Nets acquired Finney-Smith as part of the blockbuster Kyrie Irving trade in 2023. Since then, he has started 82 of the 96 games he has appeared in for the team. However, his time in Brooklyn is likely coming to an end.

Finney-Smith has two years left on his contract. However, he has a $15.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season. Especially considering he is currently 31 years old and does not fit the rebuilding Nets' timeline, it is likely in the best interest of both sides to strike a deal sooner rather than later.

Additionally, he is a former player of Carlisle's. From 2016 to 2021, as the Mavericks' head coach, Carlisle saw Finney-Smith develop into one of the NBA's best 3-and-D players firsthand. Furthermore, Carlisle was reportedly "known as Finney-Smith's biggest advocate in Dallas." His defense alone would make him a valuable player and contributor to the Pacers immediately.

Ultimately, it is unknown how interested the Nets are in trading the defensive specialist, but it appears they are at least open to it. He would not provide an immediate overhaul, but adding Finney-Smith to the Pacers would certainly move them even closer to immediate title contention.