Rick Carlisle Doesn't Expect the Pacers to Make Any Trades at the Deadline

The Indiana Pacers have been the best team in 2025. Since the calendar flipped, they are 12-3, which is the best in the league.

Despite their loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, they still feel good about the way they have been playing. They are finally healthy, and they like what they have when everyone is available.

The Pacers have been linked to a few players on the trade market, though. Most notably, they have been linked to Cameron Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets.

They do have the assets to make a move like that if they want. They could package Aaron Nesmith and Jarace Walker together to make a trade for someone like Johnson, along with some draft capital.

Myles Turner has also been put in trade rumors yet again, although that seems less likely now that the Lakers have traded for Mark Williams.

Despite all of the buzz around the team ahead of the deadline, head coach Rick Carlisle doesn't expect the Pacers to be active at all. In fact, he expects them to stand pat.

Just recorded with Rick Carlisle (out west) to air for tomorrow morning's show.

On if Carlisle expects any Pacers trade deadline activity:

"No, I don't."

Deadline comes Thursday at 3:00 PM eastern.
— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) February 5, 2025

This would indicate that Indiana believes they have a team that can contend for a title. They think that the roster is good enough as currently constructed.

They could be right. The Pacers make the Eastern Conference Finals last season with this roster, and that was without Bennedict Mathurin, who was lost for the season in March.

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As long as Tyrese Haliburton is more aggressive than he was against Portland, this team is very dangerous. They have guys who can score from every position in the starting lineup.

Pascal Siakam was an All-Star for a reason, as he has been the most consistent player for the team all year long. Defensively, they have improved greatly since mid-December.

In the month of January, the Pacers had a 109.7 defensive rating, which was the third-best in the league. That improved defense is a big reason why they see themselves as a title contender.

Nesmith is their best perimeter defender, and he is back, healthy, for the team. Carlisle is of the belief that should be enough for this team to make another deep playoff run.

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