Does this trade make sense for the Indiana Pacers?
Having Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis, the Indiana Pacers can absolutely survive if they were to trade Caris LeVert for value this season. LeVert came to them last season and is nothing more than a secondary scorer on the team, a role that Chris Duarte has already begun to inherit in his first season.
If this franchise is to rebuild, they are really going to have to buy in on getting young, high-potential talents and that is exactly what they would be getting in this deal. At the cost of only LeVert, who they will have a hard time retaining in 2023, the Pacers could add two former Top-10 picks to their roster, along with a first-round and second-round pick in 2023.
Jarrett Culver has had a very underwhelming start to his career, but then again, he has not really been put in situations to succeed.
In Minnesota, Culver had a solid rookie season, averaging 9.2 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 40.4% from the floor, but his minutes declined the following year and he does not hold a role right now with the Memphis Grizzlies other than playing near the end of games in blowouts.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Hawks-Pacers Trade Is Centered Around Caris LeVert
Standing 6’6” with a near 6’10” wingspan and being just 22-years-old, Jarrett Culver still has plenty of time to live up to being a former No. 6 overall pick. He is still an athletic shooting guard that can make a difference defensively, he just needs time and the right developmental crew to believe in him.
Indiana may not believe they have a lot of time to sit back and develop talent, but they have virtually no young players on their roster right now that they can rebuild around other than Duarte and Sabonis, which is why Culver is a player that could be appealing to them, especially since he is in the final year of his rookie contract.
Cam Reddish has been putting on a show lately for the Atlanta Hawks and is definitely a highly talented young prospect in this league. We have seen first-hand what he can do offensively with the ball in his hands and if Reddish can put two-and-two together on defense, he could realistically turn into a great two-way talent like T.J. Warren, who is currently on the Indiana Pacers roster and in the final year of his contract.
Having one year left on his rookie contract, Cam Reddish could be a player the Pacers continue to develop further, while also helping contribute to them right away as another secondary scorer next to Brogdon and Sabonis.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Hawks-Pacers Trade Is Centered Around Caris LeVert
The best part about this trade for Indiana though is the fact that they get two draft picks in 2023. This first-round pick is protected and would likely be anywhere from 20-30 in the draft, but the Indiana Pacers would now have options on how to continue building a sustainable, threatening-looking young group.
At this point, they do not have many other options left and for the cost of only Caris LeVert, this is a deal that could work out in their favor.
