How the Indiana Pacers can fix their biggest hole via trade

Think of the Indiana Pacers’ projected starting five as a fully designed living room — intentional, modern, and built with purpose. The furniture fits. The layout makes sense. The focal points draw your eye exactly where they should. Everything works together.

And yet, something feels off.

The sofa is in place. The chairs are set. The television is mounted and ready. But the room never quite comes together, because one essential element is missing, the piece that grounds everything else and makes the space feel complete.

That missing piece is the starting center.

Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and Pascal Siakam are established pillars of Indiana’s lineup. But since Myles Turner’s departure to Milwaukee in free agency, the Pacers have been left without a long-term answer in the middle. Until that void is filled, Indiana’s starting five remains functional but unfinished. It’s a lineup that works in theory, yet lacks the stability required to truly feel whole.

Enter the February 5th NBA trade deadline. The Indiana Pacers are expected to be active on the market as they search for upgrades to their center rotation.

Below are three trade scenarios that could help Indiana address that need.

Trade One: Pacers and Pelicans

Pacers receive: Yves Missi, Kevon Looney

Pelicans receive: Isaiah Jackson, Jarace Walker, two second-round picks

Why each team does the deal:

New Orleans pivots from a young center in Missi to a young wing in Walker while adding two second-round picks. The Pelicans also move off Kevon Looney’s $8 million contract (team option next season) in exchange for Isaiah Jackson, who is under contract through 2027–28.

For Indiana, this deal provides flexibility and upside. The Pacers move off a contract they may now view as an overpay while taking a flier on Missi’s defensive potential. While losing Walker would be difficult, Indiana retains Bennedict Mathurin and improves its center depth without long-term financial risk.

Trade Two: Pacers, Hawks and Mavericks

Pacers receive: Onyeka Okongwu

Mavericks receive: Bennedict Mathurin, Kristaps Porziņģis, Luke Kennard, Keaton Wallace, two first-round picks from Atlanta

Hawks receive: Anthony Davis, Jarace Walker

Why each team does the deal:

Okongwu would give Indiana a mobile, floor-spacing center who fits cleanly into the starting lineup, though the price, for both of the Pacers’ recent lottery picks, would be steep.

Atlanta dramatically reshapes its frontcourt by pairing Anthony Davis with Jalen Johnson, raising its defensive ceiling while adding Walker as a versatile rotation piece. With the Hawks hovering near the play-in once again, and after already trading Trae Young, a semibold reset would not be surprising.

Dallas sheds long-term salary tied to Davis and acquires two first-round picks plus a 23-year-old scorer in Mathurin, providing a clearer rebuilding path around Cooper Flagg.

Trade Three: Pacers and Nets

Pacers receive: Day’Ron Sharpe

Nets receive: Isaiah Jackson, one second-round pick

Why each team does the deal:

In a smaller move, Indiana upgrades its center rotation by attaching a second-round pick to Jackson in exchange for Sharpe, who is earning $6.25 million this season with a team option next year.

Brooklyn receives a backup center under contract through 2027–28 at reasonable numbers, along with an additional second-round asset for future flexibility.

Each scenario reflects a different level of aggression, but the objective remains the same: solidifying the Pacers’ center depth in a way that aligns with their competitive timeline.

Trade One: Pacers and Pelicans

Why each team does the deal:

Trade Two: Pacers, Hawks and Mavericks

Why each team does the deal:

Trade Three: Pacers and Nets

Why each team does the deal:

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