The NBA Draft Lottery is complete and the Indiana Pacers know they’ll be picking seventh. Whether they stay put or trade out remains to be seen. One thing that can be just about etched in stone is that the Blue and Gold will be active to improve the roster this off-season.
Last season went essentially how many Indiana Pacers fans expected. The team wasn’t viewed as a squad that would compete for a playoff spot and ultimately they didn’t. There was a stretch near mid-season where it looked like they might be ahead of schedule. But ultimately the youth of this team was exposed.
Also Read: NBA power rankings ahead of 2023 Conference Finals
However, there was a lot of growth and development for the Indiana Pacers in 2022-2023. Plus, the organization has a much better idea about the strengths and weaknesses of these players. And it’s no secret a major weakness of this team is the defense and specifically the on-ball variety.
As previously mentioned, the Indiana Pacers are expected to be active this off-season. With that in mind, here are seven players the organization could shop this summer.
Aaron Nesmith/Chris Duarte
The Indiana Pacers have six players that all are either six-foot-five or six-foot-six and they all overlap each other with the positions they play. What the team sorely lacks is a big-wing defender. The late-season addition of Jordan Nwora was a shrewd move but they could use another.
Aaron Nesmith and Chris Duarte are essentially comparable players. Nesmith is arguably the better defender and Duarte is arguably the better offensive creator. What the Pacers saw and got from Nesmith is most likely what he can offer. There most likely isn’t a lot more “juice” that can be squeezed out of him. He can become a more efficient scorer but that’s about it.
For Duarte, it’s a matter of health. He’s appeared in just 101 games out of a possible 164, yet it feels like he’s missed much more. He’ll be 26 when next season starts so can or should the Pacers really count on him? That’s a question every team will ask for that matter.
However, he’s shown to be a productive rotation player and if he’s packaged with a pick or another player he could be enticing. One of these players won’t be on the Indiana Pacers roster when next season starts. The determining factor will be which one can yield the better return.
Daniel Theis
Daniel Theis was a player that once acquired never made sense, outside of the money. He’s an undersized center on a team that already has three centers on the roster. Now, Theis does offer some veteran leadership but outside of the few weeks prior to the trade deadline, he was never going to see a lot of playing time.
He most likely won’t be high in demand by himself but his contract could be useful to make the money match. This and the fact he doesn’t fit this team are the two biggest reasons why it can all but be assured that Theis will be traded.
Jalen Smith/Isaiah Jackson
Again, Jalen Smith and Isaiah Jackson are two players who essentially play the same spot, center. For these two guys, there were two things that negatively impacted them this past season. First, the Indiana Pacers extended Myles Turner’s contract. And second, neither one of these players seized the opportunity to be the team’s starting power forward.
Smith was initially given the starting spot but squandered his opportunity when the league adjusted to him. For him, if he can prove that he can consistently hit a three he could earn the starting spot back. If not, then he’s an average backup center.
Jackson is much more athletic than Smith but he too is most likely a backup big man. Now, what he does bring is something that might fit this roster if he can improve his offense. As previously mentioned, he’s athletic and it allows him to defend against some smaller players.
With some improved offense from Jackson, he could be the missing piece. However, this is another situation where it can be expected that one of these guys will be moved. Again, it will come down to which player brings the better return for the Indiana Pacers.
Buddy Hield
Buddy Hield is a name that makes sense to be traded. However, I’m not so convinced that he actually will. His defense is non-existent, to be nice, and he’s better as a starter than coming off the bench. He’s also better playing alongside rising star Tyrese Haliburton but who isn’t?
The NBA is currently all about spacing and three-point shooting. Last season Hield set a career-high with 288 made three-pointers. Not only that, he finished second in three-pointers made in the NBA, ninth in three-point field goal percentage (42.5%), and third in three-point field goal attempts (677). Finally, among active players, he’s 12th in three-pointers made. This is a guy whose skill set is exactly what the Indiana Pacers need.
However, the Blue-and-Gold have an emerging star on their hands who needs to be in the starting lineup. This is a big reason why it’s thought that Hield will be moved. Although, if Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin can improve their on-ball defense then maybe the Pacers can justify retaining Hield. He fits what the team needs and they’d be hard-pressed to find a guy out there who’s better.
Andrew Nembhard
This one is the most painful and could be the most divisive. Andrew Nembhard is arguably the steal of last year’s draft class. He was expecting to go much higher in the draft than he did. To the Pacers’ great fortune, he didn’t and he landed in the perfect spot.
He had two massive highlights this past season. Hitting a game-winner in the face of LeBron James and lighting up Golden State in Oracle Arena. He’s also one of the team’s best on-ball defenders. Right up there with the aforementioned Nesmith.
The Pacers most likely don’t want to move him as they envision him being the team’s backup point guard. However, there are a lot of teams who would love to have Nembhard on their roster. While moving Nembhard would hurt the team the return the Blue and Gold get could absolutely justify the trade.
Finding such great success in the second round isn’t easy. However, if the Indiana Pacers could turn that success into an even greater success then it’s a no-brainer of a move. This off-season and draft night, for the Blue and Gold, will be one of the more closely watched ones in recent memory.
The team has an emerging backcourt in place along with some veterans to help guide this young team. What they need is some more NBA-ready talent to take this team to the next level. Kevin Pritchard and his team have their work cut out for them to keep this success rolling.