The Indiana Pacers lucked into a severe jumpstart to their rebuild when the Sacramento Kings gifted them a future cornerstone at the NBA trade deadline in Tyrese Haliburton.
Haliburton’s pace, control of the game, two-way play, and three-level scoring touch is indicative of a future superstar, and he played like one in the 26 games he appeared in for his new team.
With the Pacers this past season, he averaged 17.5 points and 9.6 assists while striking 50 percent from the floor and 42 percent from deep.
Despite his inspired play, Indiana still finished with the fifth-worst record in the league, giving their lottery pick a 42.1 percent chance of inching into the top four and just over 10 percent odds at landing the number one overall selection.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mavericks Tried Trading Jalen Brunson To Draft Tyrese Haliburton?
With Haliburton and a top-tier rookie incoming, the Indiana Pacers could see a return to the playoffs sooner than expected. After the first round of this year’s postseason, another opportunity to accelerate their rebuild might have just opened up.
Ben Simmons failed to return to the court and watched from the bench as his Brooklyn Nets floundered out of the first round, swept at the hands of Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. After two years of non-basketball-related drama and failing to meet expectations, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Head Coach Steve Nash might be ready to consolidate some of their top-tier talent in exchange for more reliable, if less exciting, pieces.
Indiana still has some veteran holdovers on their team that could be a major boon for any contender, especially one as short on depth as the Brooklyn Nets. For example, Myles Turner’s rim protection and deep shooting would have been a godsend against the Boston Celtics.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mavericks Tried Trading Jalen Brunson To Draft Tyrese Haliburton?
Buddy Hield’s gravity as a sniper and secondary playmaking could have created more real estate for KD and Irving in that series, as well. Malcolm Brogdon’s steady leadership and passing would have lifted some of the offensive burden off of Brooklyn’s two stars and given the Nets a true floor general.
A trade that sees Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon, and a 2023 unprotected first-round pick via the Cleveland Cavaliers heading to Brooklyn in return for Ben Simmons and Cam Thomas makes perfect sense for both teams.
Brooklyn fleshes out their starting lineup with solid bookends around KD and Kyrie. Both Turner and Brogdon are excellent two-way players who know how to support and uplift their stars. This deal would give the Nets a more reliable and deep team while maintaining most of their top-tier talent. It’d be hard to find a more well-rounded and talented squad in the East if General Manager Sean Marks pulled this off.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mavericks Tried Trading Jalen Brunson To Draft Tyrese Haliburton?
For Indiana, they craft a new young core around Tyrese Haliburton and Ben Simmons while keeping their 2022 first-round pick that could land in the top four or even at the number one overall spot. Cam Thomas gives them a flier as a big wing with guard skills and a knack for tough shot-making.
Even if Simmons still isn’t ready to play to start the 2022-2023 season, Indiana can continue tanking as they’ll retain their own 2023 first-rounder. There’s no reason that Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard shouldn’t pitch this to the Brooklyn Nets, especially after their first-round sweep.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mavericks Tried Trading Jalen Brunson To Draft Tyrese Haliburton?
Ben Simmons sitting out the entirety of the first round after suffering an ambiguous back injury should lower his trade value. The Indiana Pacers should strike while the iron is hot and add another cornerstone to their encouraging rebuild.
