Do any of the NBA players rumored to be available for trade make sense for the Indiana Pacers?
Many NBA players become eligible to be traded on December 15, and that day marks the unofficial start to trade season for many around the league.
As such, trade buzz has already begun swirling. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported over three weeks ago that Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins and Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder were the subject of early trade chatter, and more recently, The Athletic's Fred Katz reported that the New York Knicks have had early trade discussions involving Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, Evan Fournier, and Cam Reddish.
Charania similarly reported on Quickley and Rose's availability, and he added that the Philadelphia 76ers have brought up Tobias Harris name in trade chatter.
The Indiana Pacers were the subject of trade reports leading up to the season more so than during it. Most of those reports involved Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westrbook, which AllPacers has covered extensively. Given how the Lakers and Pacers seasons have started, such a deal makes less sense now than it did two months ago. But do any of the other reportedly available players make sense for Indiana?
Among the names listed above, one feels like it can be eliminated from the Pacers trade target list: Derrick Rose. Rose is 34-years old and on a contract that could expire at the end of the season. Indiana doesn't need point guard depth — they already roster Tyrese Haliburton, T.J. McConnell, and Andrew Nembhard — and Rose's age puts him outside of the Pacers ideal age for growth and development. Outside of using Rose's contract as a salary piece, he doesn't seem like a target for the blue and gold.
The other three noted Knicks players make more sense for the Pacers in a deal, though they all make sense for different reaseasons. Quickley and Reddish are both young, and the Pacers have a dozen players under contract who are 25-years old or younger. They are looking for players that can be a part of their team long-term. Such a mindset skews toward younger players.
Quickley is a point guard, which creates similar position hurdles to Rose. Quickley is young enough that the blue and gold could perhaps try to find a role for the speedy guard, but he is a tough fit. Reddish, meanwhile, is a 6-foot-8 forward and is just 23-years old. That alone makes him a decent fit on the Pacers roster, they have few young forwards in the mix.
Reddish has struggled to put it all together during his career, and the Atlanta Hawks traded him away in the middle of his third season after being drafted tenth overall in 2019. He has not been as good as many predicted.
But the Pacers have lower expectations than any Hawks or Knicks team Reddish has been on, and playing on a team with an enhanced focus on development could be good for the former Duke Blue Devil. Any trade for Reddish would be a bet on his long-term potential, especially since he will become a restricted free agent next offseason, but his position and scoring skill make him a plausible trade fit for Indiana. Michael Scotto reported in HoopsHype that the Pacers and Hawks talked about a possible Reddish trade in 2021.
Evan Fournier is worse than both off-ball guards — Bennedict Mathurin and Buddy Hield — that the Pacers currently deploy, and he is out of the Knicks rotation. He is 6-foot-7 and could theoretically soak up a few minutes on the wing for Indiana, but he is set to make $36.8 million over the next two seasons. His contract and skill aren't worth pursuing for the Pacers.
However, because Indiana is below the salary floor, they could take on Fournier's contract without sending any money back to New York. If the Knicks are willing to attach an asset to Fournier's contract to facilitate a deal, then perhaps a trade could materialize. But it won't be because of the 30-year old's fit in Indiana.
Similar logic applies for Tobias Harris. He is much better than Fournier, but he is 30 and will make $76 million over the next two seasons. Outside of absorbing his salary to acquire additional assets, there isn't much appeal for the Pacers in acquiring Harris. He is talented and would fit well with the team on offense, though, so if the blue and gold do decide to be buyers during trade season, he could be a cheap target.
Jae Crowder is 32 and hasn't played this season as he searches for a trade away from the Phoenix Suns. His contract is expiring, so there would be little reason for the Pacers to chase Crowder in a trade unless they were looking for wing resources for a potential playoff push. Even in that case, though, Indiana may be better off looking elsewhere — reporting suggests that Crowder wants to start on his new team, and it's not clear if he would start for the Pacers.
John Collins is interesting in that he fits the modus operandi for players that the Pacers have tried to acquire in trades under President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard — he's young (25-years old) and under contract for several more seasons (two more after this season, then a player option in 2025-26). If Indiana does end up looking for upgrades during the 2022-23 season, Collins does make a lot of sense for the team.
If the front office takes a longer-term approach to team building, then going after Collins makes less sense. He averaged a double-double when still just 22 years old and is presently talented, so he would still be a good fit even within a longer plan. But giving up assets for a player that has dealt with numerous injury issues and hasn't shown much on defense during his career would be a poor move if it doesn't work out. It's risky, and the Pacers don't need to be risky at this stage of the team-building process. There is plenty of merit for the Pacers to go after Collins, but there are a ton of risks, and his salary and age would essentially force the team to speed up its rebuild.
Of the players who have been rumored to be available so far, Collins and Reddish make the most sense as targets for the Pacers. Quickley, Fournier, and Harris could all be trade candidates in the right context. Rose doesn't make much sense at all. Given that the Pacers are thinking longer-term now but are also exceeding expectations, none of them are ideal fits.
Indiana has a lot of cap space and flexibility, and making certain trades early on in the trade season would limit that flexibility — and in turn, limit the Pacers options. They look more like a team that will wait to make any deal unless they are blown away by an offer.
The Pacers made multiple in-season trades last year. This year, their direction could depend on the market.
- Former Pacers All-Star center Domantas Sabonis on the Indiana Pacers: 'They're having a great season'. CLICK HERE.
- Inside Tyrese Haliburton's return to Sacramento and the emotions behind the game. CLICK HERE.
- Goga Bitadze discusses his season and Indiana Pacers growth. CLICK HERE.
- Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs on Indiana Pacers rookie Andrew Nembhard: 'He has such a high basketball IQ.' CLICK HERE.
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