The Indiana Pacers made a splash at this year’s NBA trade deadline, swapping franchise mainstay Domanas Sabonis for Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield. Indeed, the trade signaled the team’s intention to rebuild.
Didn’t it?
Frankly, we’re not sure. As a small-market club, the Pacers have generally opted to rebuild on the fly, actively avoiding prolonged bouts of irrelevancy. In fact, team governor Herb Simon has gone on record multiple times to dispel the notion that the Pacers would do anything resembling tanking.
Assuming he’s true to his word, trading their lottery pick in the upcoming draft might be a viable option for this team. It would certainly be a bold move.
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Surely there would be some temptation to add one of the top five prospects to this young core. On the other hand, swapping that pick for a win-now star could propel this team back into the postseason.
If the Indiana Pacers do decide to go that route, here are three players they should target with their 2022 draft pick.