Best Potential Trade Scenarios and Packages to Revamp the Indiana Pacers
The narrative of this season's Indiana Pacers was changed dramatically when Paul George broke his leg at a Team USA scrimmage in August. That injury, expected to keep him out for the entire season, moved the Pacers out of the Eastern Conference's elite and made this a transitional season.
Publicly, the goals have remained the same. Bob Kravitz of USA Today reported on an August press conference following George's injury where Larry Bird explicitly stated that making the playoffs was still the plan, saying, "Have our expectations lowered any? I don't think so. I think we'll compete hard and do our best to make the playoffs; that's always one of our goals. I can sit up here and sugarcoat it all you want me to, but you just can't replace Paul George."
Still, the team's ultimate goal of winning a championship has moved from the here and now to some point in the future. The team is hoping that point in the future is next season and, so far, have decided that continuity and competitiveness are the best ways to get there.
That being said, trade proposals have been flying left and right, and the front office would be remiss in their duties if they didn't at least explore what is out there.
Below, you'll find three possible trade scenarios. They are not based on rumors or reporting, simply a sense of what's plausible for the Pacers and the other teams involved.
Indiana Pacers Receive: Nikola Mirotic, Kirk Hinrich
Chicago Bulls Receive: George Hill, Lavoy Allen, Future First-Round Pick
Mirotic has been fantastic, playing like a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate and improving steadily throughout the season. He is also playing just 18.3 minutes per game because he happens to be on a Bulls team that also has Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah.
For the Bulls, this trade would be sacrificing a big piece of their future to increase their chances of winning a title this year. Mirotic's minutes will likely shrink in the playoffs as Tom Thibodeau tightens his rotations. Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler is carrying the torch for the Bulls' perimeter defense (in addition to his huge scoring load) and is playing nearly 40 minutes a night.
Giving up on Mirotic would be hard after waiting so long for him to come overseas. But right now, the Bulls have more pressing needs.
Hill would be a huge help defending on the wing. His offensive game is versatile enough that he could split time between both guard spots and allow for a variety of different lineup combinations.
As the playoffs begin, that kind of flexibility could be really important. There are also the obvious concerns about Derrick Rose's durability. Although Aaron Brooks has been playing well off the bench, the drop-off from Rose to him and Hinrich is troubling for a team with an eye on a deep playoff run.
For the Pacers, this is small step backward for a (hopefully) big step forward in the future. Losing Hill would open a big hole at point guard. However, they've been looking to upgrade their backcourt for a while now, and it's not too difficult to imagine them finding a suitable replacement this summer.
Mirotic could be an enormous asset right now and into the future. He is a beast on the defensive glass and could defend well in the Pacers' conservative pick-and-roll scheme. He also has both the size and shooting to play alongside either David West or Roy Hibbert, adding plenty of versatility to the Pacers lineups. Most importantly, he shoots three-pointers well, which means the Pacers could really space the floor around Hibbert, limiting the effects of his offensive shortcomings.
Indiana Pacers Receive: Nikola Pekovic, Anthony Bennett, Shabazz Muhammad
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Roy Hibbert, C.J. Miles, Chris Copeland
This seems like a deal the Minnesota Timberwolves would jump at. Pekovic has three years left on his deal after this season at around $12 million per year. He doesn't really fit into the Timberwolves' short- or long-term plans, thus the possibility of unloading him for Hibbert—who's on the books for one more year at just over $14 million—could be very appealing.
Miles has three more years on his reasonably-cheap deal and is a capable defender and outside shooter. He also isn't going to crow for minutes or stunt the development of any of his young teammates. The future in Minnesota is Ricky Rubio, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, so parting with Bennett and Muhammad seems like a reasonable price to pay for financial flexibility.
For the Pacers, this may be a hard one to swallow. Hibbert has been the center of this team, literally, both emotionally and defensively for several seasons. Moving him would change the team's culture an identity dramatically.
Pekovic may be able to survive in the middle of the Pacers' defensive scheme, but this would really be a move to transform the team into one with an offensive focus.
Pek is a post-scoring threat that could do many of the things the Pacers ask of Hibbert much more effectively. He could also add a new and mobile dimension to the screening side of the Pacers' pick-and-roll. Chronic ankle issues are a concern for Pekovic, especially when compared to Hibbert's durability, but what he offers on offense is considerable.
Muhammad has been on a tear lately and could either slide in alongside Paul George next season or solidify the team's wing depth off the bench. Bennett has continued to look like a mess, but the talent is there and the cost is low. It couldn't hurt to take a flier on his talent being shaped under Frank Vogel's schemes.
Indiana Pacers Receive: Kendrick Perkins, Reggie Jackson
Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: David West, C.J. Watson
Like the Bulls deal above, this one only works if the Thunder decide they are in win-now mode.
Trading for Dion Waiters at the beginning of January seemed like an acknowledgement that OKC wasn't going to break the bank trying to keep Reggie Jackson when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer. There will probably be some tantalizing trade packages out there for him.
The Pacers really only have a chance if the Thunder decide they need to go all-in on a championship run this season. This is especially true because West has a player option for next season, which could be financially challenging for the Thunder.
West's appeal is almost all at the offensive end. He has a post-up game that can punish certain matchups. His mid-range jump shot is as reliable as ever, and his abilities as a pick-and-pop player could open all sorts of new spacing possibilities around Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.
It's worth mentioning that a similar deal could also work with George Hill and Chris Copeland substituted for West. Again, the Thunder could probably find a deal that returns more long-term value, but if they want to take a flier on this season, the Pacers could be intriguing partners.
For the Pacers, Jackson is as talented a player as they're likely to add for any of the Hill-Hibbert-West trio. His outside shot is still inconsistent, but he's a slasher and shot-creator who could add a dose of much-needed dynamism to their offense. He has expressed publicly that he would like to start, and this move might mean pairing him with Hill in the backcourt and potentially moving Hill before next season.
Regardless, he is a young and talented player who could really shake things up offensively. Jackson will be due a big extension this summer, so the Pacers would need assurance that Jackson is interested in staying in Indianapolis and that they would be able to meet his price, which would be cleared by the expiring contracts of Perkins, Luis Scola and Chris Copeland.
Of these three deals, the Reggie Jackson one feels the most enticing. It offers offensive talent without a tremendous defensive sacrifice. Jackson is young with plenty of room to develop, but he's polished enough to help the Pacers take a step forward next season.
Any of these trades would be difficult to pull the trigger on—the Pacers built this core to be complementary, and an injury to Paul George may not be reason enough to adjust the long-term plan. On the other hand, the NBA landscape is changing around them.
Maybe it's time for the Pacers to make some changes of their own.
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