Pacers Rumors: Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, More
In this week’s episode of The Fast Break Podcast, Fastbreak on FanNation NBA insider and reporter Brett Siegel is joined by Fieldhouse Files’ Scott Agness to discuss to discuss all things Indiana Pacers, who currently find themselves inside the Top-6 of the Eastern Conference standings in the midst of December.
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Tyrese Haliburton’s All-Star Game Campaign [20:33]
Coming over from the Sacramento Kings to the Indiana Pacers last season in a big trade deadline deal that sent All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis to the Kings, Tyrese Haliburton showed glimpses of his full potential at the end of the year with the Pacers.
Now, after having a full offseason to learn head coach Rick Carlisle’s system and get more familiar with his teammates, Haliburton has been having a sensational season and it appears as if the Pacers are handing him the keys to the franchise!
Tyrese Haliburton currently leads the league in assists, he is the only player averaging double-digit assists per game and he is currently tied for first in the league in double-doubles. Indiana may not be the best team in the NBA, but Haliburton has certainly made a strong case to be a first-time All-Star this season.
Agness [21:28]: “I think Tyrese is playing free, he is playing comfortable and that is so much to be traded, especially since he was just over a year-and-a-half into his career, as he was 21-years-old when he was traded last year. Not to mention, it was across the coast too from the West to the Midwest. And by the way, he is a Midwest guy from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He has family from 40 minutes away and basically has four courtside seats at every home game as a result. The Pacers have really, since the summer, given him the keys to the franchise. He’s the face of the team, he’s the leader of the team and obviously he is the biggest contributor and producer… He is no doubt an All-Star in the Eastern Conference at this moment.”
Bennedict Mathurin’s Impact As A Rookie & Potential Sixth Man of the Year [25:08]
Drafted sixth overall out of Arizona this past offseason, the Indiana Pacers took Bennedict Mathurin over the likes of Shaedon Sharpe, Dyson Daniels and Johnny Davis, three other guards who Indiana had interest in.
Well, the Pacers definitely struck gold with this pick, as Mathurin is not only putting together a case for Rookie of the Year, but he currently leads all players in the NBA in points scored off-the-bench.
Coming off-the-bench and immediately making an impact for Indiana this season, Mathurin has been everything the Pacers hoped he would be and both Brett and Scott are high on his chances to be the team’s second option next to Haliburton for many years to come [25:08].
Siegel: When I watched this guy play at Arizona, I saw an athletic wing that had potential to grow, but I will admit it, I thought at the time, Bennedict Mathurin was going to be a work in progress. I thought he would be someone the Pacers could bring in and potentially turn him into something special down the road. I was definitely wrong on this one and Mathurin is very much in the Rookie of the Year conversation. You could even make an argument that he is in the running for Sixth Man of the Year as well! Me and you talked about Mathurin before the draft and you said Indiana really liked his potential.
Agness: What Mathurin has shown Indiana is exactly what they envisioned when they drafted him. I will say, one thing that he has done above and beyond is his ability to get to the free-throw line because he does not fear anyone. Whether it is a LeBron or Giannis in the post; I think it was [Kristaps] Porzingis he challenged in the first game of the season where he went up against him. You know 7-foot-3 versus what, 6-6? Mathurin’s aggressiveness has been impressive, he is shooting the ball well from three-point land and his ability to bounce back has been impressive as well.
Siegel: We could talk about Mathurin for Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie First Team all day long, but what about Sixth Man of the Year because I’ll tell you what Scott, he’s my pick if I had to vote for Sixth Man today.
Agness: Yeah, I mean he’s right there because of how he has contributed. Honestly, we are so far away from those types of awards given that we are not even at the All-Star break, but I would easily think he’s Top-3 in that conversation right now.
Myles Turner, Buddy Hield and Indiana’s Approach to the Trade Deadline [28:53]
Heading towards February’s trade deadline, the Indiana Pacers will be a very intriguing team to watch not only because they are in a position where they could look to add talent like they did last season, acquiring both Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield, but also because they could also look to be “sellers” and get value for some of their players.
Myles Turner’s name has come up in trade rumors for years now ahead of the trade deadline and Buddy Hield is a sharpshooter that could draw a fair amount of value from a playoff contending team right now.
Indiana has not shown any indications yet that they will be willing to trade every player, but it does appear as if every player on this roster outside of Haliburton and Mathurin are available for the right price.
Brett and Scott discussed where the Pacers are at as an organization and what the trade deadline may look like not only for Myles Turner, but Buddy Hield as well [28:53].
Siegel: When we talk about the Pacers and when people around the league talk about the Pacers, the first thing that comes to mind is the trade deadline. Buddy Hield and Myles Turner are two veteran leaders for this team, but at the same time, they are the two main names that come up when you discuss trades pertaining to the Pacers.
Agness: One thing that is probably most notable is that over the last couple of weeks, Myles Turner switched agents and is now with CAA, which is probably among the top, if not the top, agencies in the league. I do push back a little bit on the general thought of him being on the trade block every year because to me, that has not at all been the case. He was certainly involved in and offered to Boston when the Pacers were very active in trying to get Gordon Hayward in 2020, but the Pacers have not made trading Turner a priority by any means over the years. To your point, Myles is in a place now where he’s willing to get to free agency, but if we look at teams who have shown interest in him through the years: Toronto, Charlotte, Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, Lakers. There has been numerous interest in Turner through the years, yet the Pacers have not been desperate to move off of him, hence why he’s still here.
Siegel: If the Pacers do wind up keeping Myles Turner, do you think they will look to do the same with Buddy Hield or do you think they would consider deals involving only Hield if it is to their liking?
Agness: I think they are willing to package them together, there just aren’t many teams who can afford that type of move right now. The reason it made so much sense for the Lakers is because of Russell Westbrook’s monster contract, though I’ve sternly opposed them doing that deal even if they got what they wanted in those two first-round picks in 2027 and 2029. I think the Pacers could get at least one first-round pick for each player in trade talks around the deadline, so why package them and have to take on Westbrook’s contract? Specifically with Buddy, he’s on a reasonable deal and my sense is that the Pacers are not in any kind of rush to move him. The only reason it makes sense to potentially move him is because of the logjam in the backcourt with others like Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, Chris Duarte and Andrew Nembhard. I do not think Buddy will finish his current contract with the Pacers, but it is not like they are forced or being adamant about trading him this season.
