Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert earned a trip to the NBA All-Star Game last season. He averaged double-digit points for the sixth consecutive season and started 81 regular season games. It was, however, Hibbert’s performance late in the season that fans remember the most.
He put up less than seven points in eight of his 19 playoff appearances this past season and averaged just 9.2 points per game in the season season. That’s not exactly what you would call excelling when your team needed it the most.
According to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News, Indiana is quietly looking to trade the big man.
They’re open to making major changes, if they’re there,” one general manager told Sporting News. “I think they’d be disappointed to see that same core group back intact, so it is a matter of, how drastic can the changes they make be? Moving Hibbert for multiple pieces would be a pretty drastic change, but they’re asking.
Indiana’s asking price will dictate whether Hibbert will be moved. Despite standing at 7’2″ with a 278-pound frame, Hibbert has never been a tremendous interior force, especially on the defensive side. He’s averaging just 6.7 rebound per game in his largely mediocre six-year career.
In addition to that, Hibbert is slated to make over $30 million over the course of the next two seasons. That’s a large contract for any team to take on. This is an indication that whatever Indiana might receive in return won’t be enough for it to pull the trigger.
Photo: Huffington Post