After getting off to a slow start this season, the Pacers have become receptive to the idea of pivoting to a rebuild and trading multiple veterans, sources tell Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz of The Athletic. According to The Athletic’s duo, the team intends to be “very active” prior to the February 10 trade deadline.
Charania and Kravitz identify swingman Caris LeVert and big men Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis as some of the Pacers’ potential trade candidates. All three players have generated “significant interest” from rival teams, per The Athletic’s sources. It’s unclear if Indiana would be willing to move both Turner and Sabonis or just one of the two, but Charania and Kravitz suggest a breakup of the two centers “now appears on the horizon.”
T.J. Warren, who is on an expiring contract, could also theoretically be a trade chip, but he continues to recover from a foot injury and has told team management that he’d like to remain in Indianapolis, sources tell Charania and Kravitz. Malcolm Brogdon is ineligible to be traded this year after recently signing an extension.
The Pacers would like to open up more playing time for rookies Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson. The team raved about Jackson during the preseason and Duarte has quickly become a favorite of head coach Rick Carlisle, according to The Athletic.
Pacers owner Herb Simon, who is 87 years old, has historically resisted the idea of rebuilding due to concerns that any extended period of losing could substantially hurt attendance in one of the NBA’s smaller markets. However, with the Pacers already second-last in the league in attendance this season, Simon – apparently recognizing that it can’t get much worse – has become more willing to get on board with a rebuild, per Charania and Kravitz.
The Athletic’s duo clarifies that the Pacers don’t intend to embark on a years-long “tankathon” akin to the Sixers’ “Process,” but president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard and the front office are prepared to make some major roster changes and look ahead to the future after starting the season with a 10-16 record (13th in the East).
It’s worth noting that Indiana has been hurt this season by poor showings in crunch-time minutes and perhaps isn’t as bad as that 10-16 record suggests. Despite missing Warren – their top scorer in the 2020 Orlando bubble – the Pacers have a positive point differential through their first 26 games. However, even with some better late-game luck and a healthy Warren, the current roster probably doesn’t have the upside to legitimately contend for a title.
Rival teams aren’t sure how soon the Pacers will be ready to make deals, according to Charania and Kravitz. The expectation is that the front office will exercise patience and wait for the best offers to materialize, so it’s possible Indiana won’t do anything major until closer to the deadline. Trade talks around the league figure to start picking up a little next Wednesday, when more than 100 players become newly trade-eligible.
Myles Turner to Mavericks for Dwight Powell, Josh Green, and couple 1st round picks top 5 protected and couple pick swaps.
Domatas Sabonis to Grizzlies for Steven Adams, Ziaire Williams, and first round picks unprotected + pick swaps.
Pacers going after 1st rounders + pick swaps by dealing Turner and Sabonis while taking back some dead money in Adams and Powell for 2 years. Could buy them out. Pick up some lottery tickets in Green and Williams
hahaha – Carlisle would be PISSED if they made a trade with the mavs.
But he’s always had good things to say about Dwight.
I could see Jalen + the Richardson exception going with this for Levert too
Turner to gsw
For who? You’re going to create a hole at small forward and trade Wiggins? Pacers don’t want Looney and there’s no way the Warriors trade Weisman. They think he can be Myles Turner and better.
So who you going to trade to get Myles Turner. I like Myles Turner, I think he brings a lot and he’ll bring Rim protection that the Warriors don’t have right now, but not sure who they give up and the Pacers would want. Moody and who? The number 29 pick?
Kuminga ring a bell?
I don’t think he’s available. The man’s explosive and can learn to shoot and is strong and is fast and has potential for defensive excellence. I think he’s a keeper.
If you’ve watched any Warriors basketball this year you know Kuminga is off limits
The Pacers have a disappointing 10-16 record. Still 56 games to go. Why not be patient and try to make the playoffs? Pacers have a good nucleus: Turner, Sabonis, Brogdon, Lavert, Lamb, Warren (if and whenever healthy again).
Because history suggests even when healthy this group doesn’t have that high of a ceiling
Your point is good. Being the seventh or eighth seed in the playoffs and having a big payroll isn’t a good place to be.
Sabonis to Portland! Make it happen! Come on home!
LeVert would make sense for the Cavs if they’re pushing for playoffs. Fill the void from Sexton. Cheaper than a CJ McCollum.
Love, Okoro, Picks for LeVert, Lamb, and Holiday. Would even out the roster provide better depth and unload Loves contract. Plus LeVert and Holiday arent rentals.
So much talent on that roster. They need to break it up finally. One of the two centers has to go. One of Brogdon and Levert has to go. Lamb could be useful elsewhere. TJ is an excellent backup for a good team. Keep Duarte.
Interested in opinions… When a team essentially announces a fire sale in advance, does it have a negative effect on players(“They don’t want me, why bother…”)or a positive one (“the better I play, the better my chance to go to a contender”).
I would say the former
As I said in the CJ McCollum article couple days ago, the locker room pays no attention to trade rumors. Those rumors are constant and it would drive players crazy if they did watch the headlines every day. If anything guys feel like they are being pursued by the other team so it’s a positive thing.
But as CJ McCollum said, he doesn’t worry about it, he lets the GM handle that kind of thing.. and his agent. About the only locker room dissention that would occur during a slide is guys chasing stats. That doesn’t help matters but I think the team as a whole stays together and backs each other up even during presumed fire sale scenarios. Just my take.
I like both their bigs. I consider Sabonis an old school PF. He can definitely play the 5 in small ball lineup. I know Knicks and Thibs really like Turner. Been rumors here for two yrs. Always supported Mitch and his youth. But he’s getting on my nerves this yr. Taking too long to get back to last yr. I would really like to get Turner. He makes us better for sure. And he’s a young vet who wants to win. The Garden will love him. I really think Knicks will make a trade this yr. And a young vet is what they will get.
Bing bong
Well, if Indiana is looking to rebuild, a few young players and a few picks plus some contracts thrown in to even things out?
To the Bulls:
Domantas Sabonis
Kelan Martin
To the Pacers:
Patrick Williams
Coby White
Derrick Jones Jr
Portland’s 2022 1st round pick
Top 5 protected Bulls 2025 1st round pick.
That is tempting but I hate to see Williams go. Tremendous upside.
The problem is with Sabonis he’s a great player, but the spacing would be questionable. Vu already has issues adjusting around LaVine and DDR. Now you add Sabonis to that and it’s going to really hurt the spacing. I think Turner is the one they should get but that’s wayyy too much for him. And personally DJJ has done enough on defense to keep him as a Bull in my mind.
Only reason I put DJJ in there is to make the money balance. Sabonis makes 19 mil and White and Williams combined don’t make nearly that much. Otherwise I’d prefer to keep him (and Williams for that matter lol). Feels like Coby needs a new shot somewhere else though. Still young, still tons of upside.
I agree this would be too much for Turner and I also agree that he’d be the one I’d want to see given his defense and the solid uptick in the rest of his game this year, though I’d worry you’d be paying for a premium given how well he’s played thus far.
As has been said above, I wouldn’t sleep on GSW for one of these bigs. And no matter how much talk there is about Wiseman and even Kuminga, neither are likely to help GSW materially in the postseason these next two years.
Postseason will be heavy Reliance on the starters. Poole Curry Draymond Looney and Wiggins. Veterans Off the Bench will also be relied upon in the postseason. Iguadala, Gary Payton will play, Porter and NB. They’ll be fine in the playoffs.
The young guys will carry them into the future. They’re not getting rid of them. Maybe Moody and a first-round pick for Myles Turner.. that might be about it. Maybe another pic. Wiseman and kuminga are going nowhere.
First thing for IND is to fire Carlisle, the dude is totally flopping with the good team he has at his disposal!
Why on earth would IND wanna trade Sabonis, clearly he is the star & better player in the team, & he is the only player with All-NBA potential in there!!!
CLV has been disappointing so far this year, so he can go!
TJ can’t play, so he can go!
Turner is very inconsistent & not that good overall he can go as well!
Brogdon & Sabonis are keepers if you ask me, specially Sabonis… Duarte as well as he is good & cheap… the rest of the team they can all go!
None of these bums are worth a damn. Get what you can for them.