What this trade means for the Pacers and Kings
The Indiana Pacers are on the verge of a rebuild and the best thing that they could do for themselves right now is to look for ways to add as much future value as possible. Domantas Sabonis has been great for them and is only 25-years-old, but he is the guy that can give them the most return should he be leveraged in trade talks.
Being a two-time All-Star, Sabonis could give the Pacers some key assets and first-round draft assets in a trade and that is exactly what they would get from the Kings.
While Buddy Hield is 28-years-old and on a larger contract than that of Sabonis, he is a guy that could fit in nicely on the wing in Indiana because they need three-point shooters.
As a team, the Pacers currently rank 26th in the league in three-point shooting percentage, hence why they could have interest in Buddy Hield. As for Marvin Bagley III, he is in the final year of his rookie contract, but Indiana would have the right to re-sign him in the offseason.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Teams To Watch For In Pacers’ Domantas Sabonis Trade Talks
By making this move, the Pacers would likely keep Bagley around for a few more years and the former No. 2 overall pick has proven to be a key talent in the frontcourt. In 128 career games, Marvin Bagley has averaged 14.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and has shot 50%, making him a key contributor to this team’s rebuild.
The best part about this trade for the Pacers though is the fact that they get a ton of draft compensation from 2022-2025. All of these first-round picks allow them to continue adding high-level prospects to this team for the foreseeable future and rebuild a once playoff threat into one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference once again.
We mentioned the Kings’ 15-year playoff drought earlier and in order for them to snap this, they just need more high-level play from their roster. Of the guys currently on their roster, De’Aaron Fox is their only All-Star-like player, which is why adding Domantas Sabonis could result in them taking the next step as a franchise.
He can do a little bit of everything on the offensive end of the floor and next to Richaun Holmes in the frontcourt, the Kings would suddenly have a very balanced-looking core with Fox, Haliburton, Barnes, Sabonis and Holmes.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Teams To Watch For In Pacers’ Domantas Sabonis Trade Talks
This is a move that propels the Kings into the playoff conversation in the Western Conference, somewhere they have not been in over a decade. Their front-office has to make a big move at some point and adding Domantas Sabonis would be a significant, positive change for this franchise.
