The NBA Draft is approaching fast and the Indiana Pacers are looking to be aggressive as they seek to improve the roster. It’s now being reported that the team is open to trading the 7th overall pick for a wing player.
This report from Brian Windhorst is certainly intriguing. Since this past season ended, the fan base has largely been split. Some want the Pacers to ‘go for it’ by acquiring impactful NBA talent so the team can make a run at the playoffs.
The downside of this would be what the Pacers just endured during the Nate McMillan head coaching era. The other side of the fan base wants to continue rebuilding. The downside of this would be spending another year or two in the lottery and wasting valuable time.
Multiple sources indicate the Pacers tried to acquire Toronto’s OG Anunoby at the trade deadline. It’s also been reported that the team tried to acquire De’Andre Hunter for Chris Duarte and draft capital. Could the Blue and Gold resume continue pursuing either of those players? Or might the Pacers seek other teams to trade with, to fill their need?
Here are three Indiana Pacers NBA Draft trade scenarios.
Related: Indiana Pacers draft preview 2023: Draft targets, needs, picks, and mock draft
Indiana Pacers swing trade with Lakers
- L.A. Lakers trade: Jarred Vanderbilt & 17th overall
- Indiana Pacers trade: Jalen Smith, 26th & 40th overall
- Players possibly available at 17: Leonard Miller, Keyonte George, Jalen Hood-Schifino
The LA Lakers are in an interesting situation. They are coming off a deep playoff run that didn’t end in a championship. A lot of their depth is set to hit the free-agent market, as are some of their other important players. Such as D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Dennis Schroder, Lonnie Walker IV, and Malik Beasley.
As long as Anthony Davis and LeBron James are still on the roster this team will be in championship or bust mode. They also have only $10.8 million in available cap space, so they need cheap contracts. Now, with James and Davis, the team will be able to attract veteran players who are in search of a championship and willing to take lesser money. But the team needs some youth for the future to build around as well.
This is where the Pacers’ late first-round picks become more enticing. It’s most likely that the 17th overall pick will yield the better player. However, the Lakers need quantity over quality, and there are some intriguing players late in the first round that could fit well with James and Davis.
For the Pacers, they presumably get the better prospect along with Vanderbilt. He would fill the team’s need for a big wing who can defend multiple positions and pair well next to Myles Turner. By filling this need it could impact who the Blue and Gold draft at seven.
Related: 2023 NBA mock draft: Projecting all 58 picks following NBA Finals
Pacers work out trade with Knicks for Obi Tobbin
- New York trades: Evan Fournier & Obi Toppin
- Indiana trades: Aaron Nesmith & Daniel Theis
- Players possibly available at 7: Jarace Walker, Bilal Coulibaly, & Anthony Black
This may be a hard trade to swallow as it’s with the Pacers’ one-time arch-nemesis. However, New York finds itself with some salary cap issues and without a star. This trade certainly won’t bring them the star they’re yearning for, but it will give them some cap relief. New York has five big contracts, with only two of them being good, RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson.
It’s no secret the team would like to move on from the Fournier contract, but in doing so, they’ll need to include something valuable. The team has no picks in the upcoming draft. However, it does have seven picks in next year’s draft. And it’s widely thought the team will use those draft picks to make a trade to land a star.
So, the only players that are of value are Immanuel Quickley, Josh Hart, Obi Toppin, and Quentin Grimes. And of that group, Toppin is the only one who would potentially fill a Pacers need. The 6-foot-9 220-pound forward has shown improvement in his game, granted it’s been in limited time. He’s currently blocked by Randle and the team doesn’t seem to be interested in finding playing time.
For New York, they get some salary cap help and still have their picks to try and land a star. They also get a strong wing defender who can provide some floor spacing along with a veteran playoff-tested big man. Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers get the big wing they’ve been coveting while also keeping the 7th overall pick.
Related: 5 Indiana Pacers NBA Draft targets for 2 picks late in the first round
Indiana lands valued wing defender
- Brooklyn trades: Dorian Finney-Smith
- Indiana trades: Chris Duarte, Daniel Theis, & 26th overall
- Players possibly available at 7: Cam Whitmore, Ausar Thompson, & Taylor Hendricks
This isn’t the sexiest or may not be the most talked about trade ever. However, fit does help both teams. For Brooklyn, they get rid of some redundancy, Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson, and Mikal Bridges are all defense first type of players. Bridges is the only one in the group who is the closest to being a suitable number two option on a team.
They also get an additional first-round pick and would own picks 21, 22, & 26 in the draft. They could package a couple or all of them with that group to move up higher in the draft. And Duarte is a piece who, with the change of scenery could flourish once again while also being a good defender and offering some offensive punch.
Meanwhile, for the Indiana Pacers, they get the big wing they’ve been searching for. Finney-Smith could be a good fit alongside Myles Turner while also being a capable defender on the perimeter. Offensively, he’s somewhat similar to that of Aaron Nesmith. Finney-Smith would be just a bigger version of Nesmith. The best part of this deal is that the Blue and Gold keep the 7th overall pick. Allowing them to go with the best player available or possibly move up in the draft.
