Roy Hibbert to Lakers: Latest Trade Details, Comments and Reaction
The Roy Hibbert era is over for the Indiana Pacers. The team announced it had dealt the 28-year-old big man to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday in exchange for a future second-round draft pick.
Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird commented on the decision, per NBA.com: "I’d like to thank Roy for all his contributions during his time in Indiana. He was a two-time NBA All-Star, and we appreciate everything he did for our franchise both on and off the court."
ESPN.com's Marc Stein was among the first to report the two teams were working on a deal.
Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling believes Hibbert will be a great fit on a younger Lakers team:
Basketball Insiders' Eric Pincus also sees Hibbert providing a nice complement to Los Angeles' frontcourt:
One of the biggest questions will be how Hibbert meshes with Kobe Bryant. It's no secret Kobe isn't always the easiest teammate with whom to get along.
Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm doesn't foresee any issues between the two vets:
Considering the circumstances, the Lakers aren't taking much risk adding a player who has clearly established himself as a defensive asset.
Plus, Indiana's desperation to offload Hibbert meant the asking price was minimal.
In effect, the Pacers signaled their intentions with regard to Hibbert's future at the end of the 2014-15 regular season. Bird commented publicly that the 7-footer didn't have a guaranteed starting spot.
"We assume he's going to be back and if he comes back, we're probably going to play another style," he said, per Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. "And I can't guarantee him anything. He's going to have to earn it."
Bird went on to say that he and Pacers head coach Frank Vogel were looking to quicken up the pace of the team's offense, a tactical shift which would be more difficult with a more stationary big man like Hibbert on the roster.
It was as if Bird was openly pushing for Hibbert to waive his option for next year and become a free agent.
As if any doubt remained as to the team's desires, Indiana essentially drafted Hibbert's replacement in the first round, Myles Turner, per Buckner:
"Roy works hard. Do that and he’s fine with you RT @GauravVShastri: @HPbasketball I feel like Kobe’s going to eat Hibbert alive
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) July 4, 2015"
Grantland's Zach Lowe reported the night of the 2015 NBA draft that Hibbert was opting in for the final year of his contract. That led to a report from Stein that Indiana was looking to offload Hibbert.
It's hard to think just how far the two-time All-Star has fallen in a relatively short amount of time.
When the Pacers were rolling in the early stages of the 2013-14 campaign, Hibbert was building a case to be Defensive Player of the Year. Then, the team backed into the playoffs after a poor second half and lost to the Miami Heat in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
During the postseason, Hibbert often cut a melancholic visage, particularly in the first round while averaging 9.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.
Tracy McGrady, who saw a total of 31 playoff minutes for the San Antonio Spurs that year, had some fun at Hibbert's expense:
The 2014 postseason was likely the beginning of the end for Hibbert in Indiana. Sporting News' Sean Deveney reported last summer the team was throwing around the idea of trading him and gauging interest in a deal throughout the league.
When you look at his per-36 numbers in 2014-15, they aren't demonstrably lower than his career averages and in some cases better than what he had done in the past few years. Hibbert averaged 15 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.
The problem is that he's due to make a little over $15.5 million in the upcoming season.
Quality rim protectors are hard to find, but that's a hefty price tag to pay to a center who has never excelled offensively and whose team was better with him off the floor.
According to NBA.com, the Pacers had a minus-1.4 net rating when Hibbert was on the court. When he was on the bench, the team's net rating jumped to 1.1.
Perhaps Hibbert will have a chip on his shoulder going into next year. Not only is he playing for a big contract, but he also might want to make the Pacers regret ever viewing him as expendable in the first place.
For the Lakers, Hibbert can be the big man inside Los Angeles passed over in the NBA draft when it opted for D'Angelo Russell instead of Jahlil Okafor.
Given both the Lakers' cap situation and the quality of centers currently available, adding Hibbert is about the best move L.A. could've made to improve defensively in the paint.
