Why Indiana Pacers Do This Trade
The Indiana Pacers have to shake things up on their roster. The easiest way to balance things out is by trading starting center, Myles Turner.
The Pacers are well equipped to handle such a move. They can shift Domantas Sabonis to the starting center spot, with Pascal Siakam stepping into the starting power forward spot alongside him.
Off the bench, they have two first-round draft picks that can give them minutes at the 5 spot. Goga Bitadze was the 18th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and has shown some good shot-blocking skills in his limited opportunities thus far. His development as a 3-point shooter is key to how high of a ceiling he will have in the NBA.
The team also acquired the draft rights to Isaiah Jackson, who was the 22nd pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He won’t impact the game much offensively yet but is a springy athlete that can block shots and rebound.
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Losing T.J. Warren is a blow to the team’s offense, but Siakam is more than capable of picking up that slack, as he has averaged 20 points per game the last three seasons. Rookie Chris Duarte could slide right into the starting small forward spot in his place as well.
