How This Trade Impacts Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are going nowhere fast this season. They are six games behind the 10th place Atlanta Hawks, making the playoffs a long shot. In need of a shake-up, they have a good chance to do so ahead of the deadline.
It was widely believed that Myles Turner would be the big man on the move from Indiana, but his foot injury complicates things. Teams likely won’t offer as much knowing he could be sidelined for the foreseeable future. That makes Domantas Sabonis, who will likely bring back a bigger package, the player that could be on the move.
This deal with the LA Clippers is one that could meet the Indiana Pacers’ asking price. While it doesn’t have a second first-round pick like the Chicago Bulls’ offer for Nikola Vucevic, they are getting a much stronger player package.
Luke Kennard and Ivica Zubac are both plug-and-play guys right now. They will help keep the team competitive and at 25 and 24-years old could be part of their long-term plans as well. Brandon Boston Jr. and Keon Johnson both have ridiculous upside and are only 20 and 19-years old.
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The first-round pick could be extremely valuable down the line as the Clippers are a club mostly on the wrong side of 30. In six years, no one knows what they will look like, as it is as good of a chance they are in the lottery as they are competing for championships.
While some fans might be disappointed not getting an All-Star level player back, this package hits all the boxes of things the organization is looking for in a trade centered around Sabonis.
