Why Indiana Pacers Do This Trade
The Indiana Pacers have been looking for avenues to shake up their roster this offseason. They have some concerns about Malcolm Brogdon being their long-term point guard, so they unload him in this deal.
Finding a landing spot for Jeremy Lamb was not going to be easy, but they found one in the Portland Trail Blazers. Attaching a 2023 first-round pick that is lottery protected is a bit steep, but when you are getting a player back of CJ McCollum’s caliber and a 2019 first-round pick in Nassir Little, it makes it worthwhile.
McCollum isn’t a true point guard, but Brogdon wasn’t either. Caris LeVert can take over as the main facilitator in the starting lineup, along with Domantas Sabonis, who is another excellent playmaker.
McCollum can slide right into the starting lineup as the team’s go-to scoring option. He was excellent as the 1B to Damian Lillard in Portland but would have a chance to be the 1A in Indiana.
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The Lehigh product is a solid playmaker himself, averaging a career-high 4.7 assists per game last season. Without a ball-dominant point guard such as Lillard next to him, CJ McCollum could see those assist numbers increase even more.
Little provides another young player they can develop in their frontcourt to soak up minutes at power forward. If Myles Turner is traded, there will be minutes available there as Domantas Sabonis is likely to move over to the center spot.
