According to a report published in Yahoo Sports by Jake Fischer, the Indiana Pacers big man who is "most likely," to be traded in advance of the February 9 trade deadline is 23-year old Goga Bitadze.
According to the report, the Pacers and Bitadze's representatives are willing to work together to find a new home for the young center if "an opportunity arises." Bitadze is currently out of Indiana's rotation and has played in just 19 games this season.
That has been a theme for the Georgian interior player since he was drafted in 2019. He spent the first two-and-a-half seasons of his career behind Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis in the Pacers frontcourt rotation. Late in the 2021-22 campaign, after Sabonis was traded away and after Turner was out with a foot injury, Bitadze received regular rotation minutes when healthy. But this year, with Turner back in the mix along with Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith, Bitadze is back on the bench most nights.
He was terrific in the Pacers first win of the season, scoring 15 points and pulling in 14 rebounds. Since then, however, the young big man has not scored 10 points or grabbed 10 rebounds in a single game — granted, he has only played more than 15 minutes in a game twice since Halloween.
A new opportunity would give Bitadze more chances to play, and depending on what a potential trade looked like, it could open up a roster spot for the blue and gold.
The Pacers are far below the salary cap, so they have the ability to make lopsided trades. They can be flexible in deals. Bitadze is in the final year of his four-year, $13.6 million rookie scale contract. He will become a free agent in the offseason.
Bitadze had just five appearances since December 1. According to Fischer, the center has been "uninterested," in playing for the Pacers G League affiliate team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
The Pacers are 23-22 on the season and are currently on a four-game losing streak.
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