The Indiana Pacers have been involved in some of the biggest trades ahead of the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline thus far. They had the intention of rebuilding the roster and they have followed through on that.
Gone are veterans Caris LeVert and Domantas Sabonis. LeVert was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ricky Rubio, a lottery-protected first-round pick in 2022 and two future second-round picks.
Sabonis was traded to the Sacramento Kings in a surprising deal. He, along with Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2027 second-round pick is heading west with Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson coming back to the Pacers.
It has been a successful deadline for Indiana based on what they were looking to achieve. They are saving money, adding draft capital to improve in the future and have alleviated their logjam in the middle, which will open things up for other players on the roster.
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But, the Pacers could be far from done. Myles Turner could still be on the move, as he has numerous suitors despite his injured foot. If Indiana isn’t blown away by an offer they have big plans for Turner now with Haliburton in town.
Haliburton landing in Indiana isn’t something anyone predicted, as the Kings were not including him in any negotiations previously. It sounds as if he will be the new point guard of the future, which begs the question; what will happen with the incumbent Malcolm Brogdon?
Brogdon was someone that the Pacers shopped last offseason in trades, as he was the first person offered in a package for Ben Simmons. Nothing came to fruition there and the Pacers signed Brogdon to an extension.
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With Haliburton in town, it sounds like Indiana will be going in a different direction. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Brogdon could meet the same fate as LeVert and Sabonis once eligible to be traded.
“Rival executives around the league believe the Indiana Pacers will trade Malcolm Brogdon this offseason following the departures of Caris LeVert and Domantas Sabonis, along with the acquisition of Tyrese Haliburton.”
Brogdon will not be going anywhere ahead of the deadline. The extension he signed means he is ineligible to be traded until the offseason. Overall, Brogdon is owned $67.6 million the next three seasons, which isn’t an outrageous number given his production and two-way play.
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However, it makes sense that the Pacers would look to move him with Haliburton in the mix. They can likely get a combination of draft picks and players to upgrade other positions of need as Brogdon is locked into his deal through 2025.
