The Indiana Pacers are preparing to head into a rebuild for the first time in a long time. The Pacers are known as a franchise that always does what they can to remain competitive, evident by the fact they have not made a selection inside the top-10 of the NBA Draft since 1989 when they selected George McCloud No. 7 overall.
That streak came close to ending in 2010 when they selected Paul George No. 10 overall. It could very well come to an end during the 2022 NBA Draft if Indiana goes through with trading away their best assets.
It has been reported that All-Star Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner and Caris LeVert could all possibly be on the move in the coming weeks.
December 15th is a date to keep an eye on for trade talks to heat up as the available player pool will grow as players who signed new contracts in free agency are eligible to be traded.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Pacers Looking To Rebuild — Talk Trades For Sabonis, Turner, LeVert
Trading away any one of those players, let alone all three would assuredly put the Pacers on the path to a rebuild. Indiana is currently 10-16 and parting ways with those players would likely have them remain near the bottom of the standings.
Another player that could draw some attention on the trade block is rookie Chris Duarte. Duarte was the No. 13 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft but is not your typical rookie. At 24-years old, he was considered as NBA-ready as any prospect in this year’s draft class or recent years. He has proven that with his play thus far this season.
Normally contending teams wouldn’t have an interest in a rookie, but Duarte is not your regular rookie. He could be inserted into any rotation and succeed given his age and experience compiled.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Pacers Looking To Rebuild — Talk Trades For Sabonis, Turner, LeVert
His inclusion as a possible trade candidate was recently discussed at The Athletic, and there are a few compelling reasons shared as to why Duarte makes some sense as someone the Indiana Pacers would look to trade away.
“First of all, how dare you? Second… I mean, look… I say this with love as the long-time Conductor of the Chris Duarte Hype Train. But there’s a pretty real case for them exploring the market for Duarte if they really, truly are entering a rebuild, right? He’d be one of the most sought-after assets in the league among a contender class that has bracingly little flexibility via trade because of their salary cap constrictions. Most of the best teams in the league have opted for a “maximums and minimums” roster construction. For instance, the Lakers have only one salary between $5 million and the max level. Milwaukee has one guy between $5 million and max level. The Heat only have one guy on a salary between $7 million and $26 million. The Warriors only have one player between $5 million and Draymond Green’s $24 million. The Nets have one player between $6 million and $35 million. The list goes on. Duarte can help a contender now more than a rebuilding team, and his salary is extremely cheap. Because he’s already 24, there’s a case he’ll never be more valuable than he is now. If the team decides to totally rebuild as opposed to just re-tool on the fly, I think there is a real case for moving him. I legitimately think a team could give up multiple first-rounders’ worth of value for him.”
Contending teams are always looking for ways to keep their contending window open. Acquiring a 24-year old that can contribute right away that is on a rookie contract would be a shrewd way of accomplishing that. Duarte’s contract is one that even the teams deepest into the luxury tax would be able to find a way to fit into their salary cap.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Pacers Looking To Rebuild — Talk Trades For Sabonis, Turner, LeVert
The Oregon product is having a solid rookie campaign. He is averaging 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, two assists and 1.1 steals in 29.6 minutes per game. His offensive and defensive ratings are solid, as the Pacers are better on both ends of the court when he is on the court compared to off of it.
If the Indiana Pacers are going to enter into a full rebuild, seeing what Chris Duarte can fetch them on the trade market makes a lot of sense. Given his advanced age for a rookie, he would not fit a rebuilding timeline as well as he would fit the timeline of a team looking to win now.
