The Indiana Pacers are embarking on uncharted waters as they are stepping into a rebuild for seemingly the first time in franchise history. With a record of 19-36 and seven games behind for a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament, they are sellers at the deadline with an eye toward the future.
Indiana made their first move ahead of the deadline, sending Caris LeVert to the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeVert has been getting better and better as the season has worn on and the Pacers cashed in that value.
In exchange for LeVert, the Pacers received Ricky Rubio, a lottery-protected first-round pick in 2022 and two future second-round picks. Rubio is out for the remainder of the seasons after tearing his ACL but is on an expiring contract so Indiana saves a good amount of money making this deal.
But, they are far from done wheeling and dealing. Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner have both been involved in plenty of trade discussions. Justin Holiday has also seen his name swirling in trade rumors. Another name to keep an eye on is TJ Warren, whom Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said the team is open to moving, along with flipping Rubio’s deal again.
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“For now, Indiana is searching for pathways to move Ricky Rubio’s expiring contract, sources said, by taking on future salary in exchange for additional draft capital,” Fischer wrote. “The same dynamic applies to the Pacers’ conversations regarding injured forward T.J. Warren. Jeremy Lamb is another strong trade candidate in Indiana.”
Warren has been sidelined for the entire season as his recovery from foot surgery has gone much slower than anticipated. Warren exploded for the Pacers at the Orlando Bubble in 2020, but he has played in only four games since then, last playing in December of 2020.
Given that Rubio is already out for the remainder of the season, it sounds as if the Indiana Pacers believe the same could be true for TJ Warren based on that report. Warren is progressing slowly, as he has been playing some one-on-one recently, but there is very little incentive to the Pacers holding onto him unless they want to sign him to a bargain, prove-it deal this offseason.
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Trading him for more draft capital, however, would be the smart thing to do. There is no guarantee that he will return to form once he can get back on the court, so if they can get anything of value for him at the deadline, they should pull the trigger on a deal.
