Pacers will be buyers
There’s a ton of talk about the Indiana Pacers somehow thinking it’s a good idea to move Paul George and blow this whole thing up. George has not necessarily quieted this by indicating that he wants to play for a contender (more on that here).
As they are currently constructed, the Pacers are far from a contender right now. They are sitting at 29-29 and are in the thick of a race with a bunch of other mediocre teams for a bottom-three playoff spot. That could change on a dime if Indiana actually decided it might want to be buyers.
There’s capital here in first-round picks in each of the next three seasons as well as the short-term contracts of Rodney Stuckey, C.J. Miles and Lavoy Allen. Why not go out there and find someone to team up with George? That’s only magnified by the progression we have seen from big man Myles Turner this season.
The good news here is that Indiana might very well be looking to do just that.
Hall of Famer @PeterVecsey1 says Indiana is among the teams showing interest in Nets C Brook Lopez in advance of Thursday's trade deadline
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 21, 2017
Lopez and his 20-plus points per game would work well with Turner on the inside. Add in George and Jeff Teague out on the perimeter, and that surely would have the look of a top-five seed back east. Even if it’s not Lopez that Indy adds, look for it to make a nice move before Thursday’s deadline.