Why The Indiana Pacers Do The Deal 

On the other hand, it always made sense for the Pacers to offer Ayton that extension. It was a decision that was perfectly consistent with how the Pacers have tended to operate. 

After all, these Pacers may be rebuilding, but history suggests that they won’t take long to do so. As a small market team, they’ve generally avoided long “tanking” processes. The Pacers may be targeting young players, but they’d likely prefer ones with proven records of production over a slew of first-round picks. 

Ayton fits that bill. In fact, he was the starting center on a team that advanced to the NBA Finals. In landing him, the Pacers land a solid defensive big who’ll thrive alongside Tyrese Haliburton in the pick-and-roll for years to come. 

The Pacers pay no small price here. Besides Turner, they’re cutting ties with Chris Duarte fairly prematurely. It still feels worth it. Duarte may have just completed his rookie season, but at 25, he’s still somehow a year younger than Ayton. 

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Is he, along with the other players in this deal, worth the cost of Sabonis for the Kings?