The Indiana Pacers shook up NBA trade season by making a move for two-time All-NBA forward Pascal Siakam, moving on from Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and three first-round picks in the deal.
Siakam is now set to join Tyrese Haliburton in Indiana and help them on their impending postseason run. The Pacers have a brand new dynamic duo on their hands.
Haliburton was taking a ton of responsibilities on the offensive end, and Siakam should help with that. Plus, he should also give the Pacers a much-needed boost on the defensive side of the ball.
But what if the Pacers didn’t want to settle for a dynamic duo? Having two stars on the roster is great, but they still have some room to make another deal this season.
Let’s take a look at three trades the Pacers could still make to form a Big 3 with Haliburton and Siakam.
1. Zach LaVine
This is a name that has already been linked to the Pacers this season, and despite the trade for Pascal Siakam, they could still make a deal happen.
It feels as though Zach LaVine won’t be on the Chicago Bulls past the trade deadline this year, and while he wouldn’t help the Pacers much defensively, he could help take their offense to another level.
Adding LaVine would give the Pacers three All-Stars, as well as three guys who can create their own shot on offense. That would be a huge boost for the postseason.
Buddy Hield, Obi Toppin, and Jarace Walker would get them there salary-wise, and considering LaVine’s contract isn’t amazing, they may not have to throw in many picks.
It’s not the perfect trade, but a Big 3 of Haliburton, Siakam, and LaVine would certainly be interesting.
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.
3. Dejounte Murray
This is perhaps the most awkward fit of the bunch, but there is no denying that adding Dejounte Murray’s defensive abilities to this Indiana Pacers group would be huge.
Murray and the Atlanta Hawks seem to be heading for a split very soon, and the Pacers should at least do their due diligence and check in on the situation.
Atlanta is likely looking to reset their roster around Trae Young and Jalen Johnson and adding some young pieces, expiring salaries, and picks could help them do that.
Tyrese Haliburton is one of the most ball-dominant guards in the league, and the backcourt duo of Young and Murray wasn’t amazing because of Young’s ball dominance, but there is a small difference between the two situations.
Haliburton has experience playing off the ball from his time with the Sacramento Kings. Young has never been an off-ball player. And he likely never will be. The pairing was always going to struggle from that perspective.
The fit of Murray next to Haliburton and Dejounte Murray may be awkward at first, but talent is talent. And if Murray is available in a potential trade, that Big 3 could be a very fun one to watch in the Eastern Conference.