Target #2 – Devonte’ Graham

Last season, Devonte’ Graham emerged as one of the most improved players in the entire NBA, as he averaged 18.2 points, 7.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and shot 37.3% from three-point range. He was the Hornets leading scorer a season ago and definitely their best offensively player.

While they still utilize him in their starting rotation this year, Devonte’ Graham has taken a step back this year with new talents like Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball joining the team. His overall offensive production is down and as a result, he could be an intriguing player that hits the trade market near the trade deadline.

Graham is a great distributor of the basketball and given that Malcolm Brogdon can play off-the-ball, the Charlotte guard could definitely be an x-factor for the Pacers. Aaron Holiday has not been impressive early on in the year and Edmond Sumner has been a plug-and-play type of guy for them, making Devonte’ Graham a must-add type player for the Pacers. 

At full strength, the Pacers could roll out a lineup of Graham, Brogdon, Warren, Sabonis and Turner with Caris LeVert coming off the bench. All six of those players are high-level players and come playoff time, this could be a tough team to beat if all six of these guys are healthy. 

The Pacers currently rank 19th in the NBA in three-point shooting this year and with the addition of Devonte’ Graham, they could potentially jump into the Top-10. Offensively, the 25-year old guard can make a huge difference for the Pacers and really open up the court more for Indiana. 

Given that he is coming off a fantastic season and is still apart of the Hornets core group, the Pacers would have to give up a good amount to bring him in, but they could probably work with trading two role players and two first-round picks for Graham and possibly another young talent like Malik Monk. 

Overall, if the Pacers are able to add Devonte’ Graham to their lineup, they would not just be getting a high-level perimeter threat, but another impact player, making them one of the tougher teams to guard in the NBA.