The Indiana Pacers have been one of the surprise teams in the NBA thus far this season. They were right in the thick of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference before point guard Tyrese Haliburton went down with an injury.
Haliburton injured his knee in the game against the New York Knicks on January 11th and the team has not won since. Currently riding a five-game losing streak, their record has dropped to 23-23 on the season.
Because of his absence, the team’s plans could be changing once again. Indiana came into the season as a team expected to land near the top 5 of the 2023 NBA Draft, but they have far exceeded those expectations.
Given how well they were playing, it looked as if the Pacers could change gears and become buyers ahead of the deadline, looking to bolster the power forward spot specifically. That could change without Haliburton in the lineup, as they have sunk in the standings.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: John Collins, Atlanta Hawks & Indiana Pacers Updates
But, if they decide to remain on that course of action, a player to keep an eye on is John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks. Collins is someone that has been on the trade block for a long time and Atlanta seems determined to make a move ahead of the deadline. Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports shared the framework of a potential deal between the two teams centered around Collins.
Would a combination of Duarte and draft capital be enough to satisfy Atlanta’s desired value in return for John Collins? Indiana has internally discussed the prospect of adding the Collins, sources told Yahoo Sports.
That would be a nice deal for the Pacers to fill their need in the frontcourt. Collins has seen his role with the Hawks diminish for a third straight season and is likely hoping that a change of scenery occurs. He has shown what he is capable of when given consistent minutes as an efficient shooter, good rebounder and solid shot blocker.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: John Collins, Atlanta Hawks & Indiana Pacers Updates
While the archetype of Collins’ skill set isn’t one that teams are knocking down the door of, he would be a good fit in the Pacers’ frontcourt alongside Myles Turner. Turner can compensate for his shortcomings defensively, and he would really benefit from being more than the 4th or 5th option.
Ninth on the team in minutes per game, Duarte no longer looks to be a long-term part of the plan in Indiana. Trevelin Queen and Oshae Brissett also logged more minutes than Duarte in the Pacers’ most recent game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: John Collins, Atlanta Hawks & Indiana Pacers Updates
If Atlanta shows interest in taking on Duarte and draft compensation, the Pacers would likely run to the phone to make the deal official with the league office. Duarte has fallen out of favor in Indiana, getting surpassed by Aaron Nesmith and rookies Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard in the pecking order for minutes.
