3 Trade targets for Pacers to form Big 3 with Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam
By Jack Simone
2. Lauri Markkanen
Trading three first-round picks for Pascal Siakam likely took the Indiana Pacers out of the running for a potential Lauri Markkanen trade, but they should still keep tabs on the situation.
Right now, the Utah Jazz are the hottest team in basketball, and they were already hesitant to trade Markkanen before that, as reports indicated they wanted ransom for him.
Now, they may choose to keep him around regardless, but if the Pacers pooled together a massive offer of the picks they have left to trade and some assets, maybe they could intrigue Danny Ainge.
Ainge has been notoriously stingy when it comes to trading players, almost always requiring a haul of picks and players in return for his star guys.
Adding Markkanen’s shooting and size next to Tyrese Haliburton would create a massive starting five that would likely also include Myles Turner at the center spot.
He’s one of the most efficient scorers in the league and on a very team-friendly deal. Every team in the league should be checking in, including Indiana.
Again, the likelihood of a Markkanen trade went way down now that the Pacers can’t trade as many firsts post-Siakam deal, but it’s a very intriguing concept.