Pacers may not be done in the trade market
The Indiana Pacers acquired Pascal Siakam via trade on Wednesday. The deal brought one of the longest-running NBA sagas to a close. It also created a frontcourt logjam within the Pacers roster. Obi Toppin, Jarace Walker and Jalen Smith will all be fighting for minutes off the bench.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype has reported that the Pacers are expected to make another move before the Feb. 8 trade deadline. Another deal would likely be to reduce the logjam at the forward position while also potentially flipping Buddy Hield's expiring contract.
"Given Indiana’s newfound frontcourt conundrum and the notion outside the organization that Hield would eventually be moved to give Mathurin, Nembhard, and Sheppard more playing time looking ahead, rival executives believe the Pacers could make another trade to bolster their team before the deadline," Scotto wrote.
Indiana has quickly emerged as an exciting young team. With the addition of Siakam, the franchise isn't far away from being considered a contender.
The young core of Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard and Bennedict Mathurin are all future stars. It makes sense that the front office would want to surround them with veteran talent to help expedite their growth and move up the contention timeline.
Hield will likely be the easiest player to move. His expiring contract and exceptional movement shooting ability make him an enticing prospect for a team that's looking to upgrade ahead of a postseason run. Finding a way to match his $18.5 million salary may be difficult, though, especially at the midway point of the season.
Still, the Pacers will likely be motivated to consolidate some of their on-court assets. Their recent activity indicates a desire to get their players as much postseason experience as possible so they can take the next step in their overall development. It won't be this season, but we're not far away from the Pacers being a threat in the Eastern Conference.
However, for the Pacers to reach their full potential, they'll need to re-sign Siakam in the summer. That was always the risk when trading for him, but if you want to be great, you've got to take risks along the way.
More must-reads: