Woj: Ricky Rubio's Expiring Contract Has Value for Pacers on Trade Market

The Indiana Pacers shipped Caris LeVert to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, but it looks like they're not done dealing as Thursday's trade deadline approaches.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Ricky Rubio, whom the Pacers acquired in the trade, could be an asset for them to flip as they continue to rebuild their roster.

"The Ricky Rubio expiring contract that they got in the Caris LeVert trade, about $18 million, that's showing itself to have value around the league," Wojnarowski said on Monday's episode of NBA Today.

Wojnarowski further explained that some teams around the league are already looking ahead to free agency this summer, which creates interest in expiring contracts like that of Rubio or Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles.

"I'm told plenty of teams, if they can get the expiring contract of Rubio, perhaps the expiring contract of a Joe Ingles, both of whom who are out for the rest of the season, those are teams who are trying to gather up cap space for the summer for free agency," Wojnarowski stated. "That's where the value of those contracts are."

He continued, "So the Pacers are probably gonna be able to flip that Rubio contract and get back some more assets as they kind of reshape this roster as they start out this Rick Carlisle era in Indiana."

The Pacers also acquired a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick and two second-round picks in the deal with the Cavaliers. At 19-36, Indiana is going nowhere fast this season with a roster that has been decimated by injuries throughout the year.

Veteran center Myles Turner is out with a stress reaction in his foot, and starting point guard Malcolm Brogdon hasn't played since Jan. 19 because of an Achilles injury. Swingman T.J. Warren, the team's leading scorer in 2019-20, has yet to see the floor this year because of foot surgery from over a year ago.

The Pacers will be looking to end a three-game losing streak when they travel to face the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.