When the Indiana Pacers acquired Tyrese Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings ahead of the NBA trade deadline in the deal that included Domantas Sabonis, many people began trying to figure out what that meant for the future. Could the Pacers once again try and trade Malcolm Brogdon, who was the first player offered to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons?
Brogdon’s long-term outlook with the Pacers was certainly up in the air when they started including him in trade packages. The extension that he signed before the 2021-22 regular season meant he couldn’t be traded until the offseason, but the rumors persisted and got louder once Haliburton was brought on.
However, it sounds as if the Pacers’ long-term plans may include both Brogdon and Haliburton as the starting backcourt. They looked good in their first action together on Friday night when the team lost in overtime to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Haliburton finished the game with 14 points and 11 assists while Brogdon had 15 points and four assists. It is fair to question whether or not the game would have gone differently had Brogdon been allowed to play beyond the third quarter.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Offseason Trade Targets For Pacers Involving Malcolm Brogdon
Already logging 31 minutes, Brogdon didn’t see the floor in the fourth quarter or overtime because of a minutes restriction that he is on. While the outcome was disappointing, it was certainly an encouraging first game for their new backcourt. Head coach Rick Carlisle spoke glowingly of the pair following the game.
“That’s gonna be seamless,” Carlisle said. “There’s zero concern about that from my perspective or the coaching staff’s perspective or I would even venture to say management’s perspective. … I think these guys fit together extremely well.”
They were even better in their second game together on Sunday afternoon against the Boston Celtics. Indiana won the game handily, 128-107, as seven Indiana Pacers scored in double-figures, including four that scored at least 20.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Offseason Trade Targets For Pacers Involving Malcolm Brogdon
Tyrese Haliburton scored 22 points to go along with a team-high nine assists, adding four rebounds as well. Malcolm Brogdon chipped in 20 points, pulling down six rebounds to go along with five assists in the dominant victory.
So far so good when it comes to the new backcourt pairing. Things are certainly looking up for Indiana, as they will have two first-round picks in the 2022 NBA Draft and look like a team that will be a popular selection to have a breakout 2022-23 campaign.
