Report: Indiana Pacers have been aggressive in search for two-way wing
According to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Indiana Pacers have been trying to add a two-way wing to their roster.
"They've been aggressive in trying to trade for that big, athletic, two-way wing player that they need to build out this roster," Wojnarowski said of the Pacers. He mentioned Toronto Raptors forwards OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam by name.
The Pacers have been light on wing depth for years. Since starting Bojan Bogdanovic and Thaddeus Young in the forward spots in 2018-19, Indiana has been constantly searching for long-term answers at those positions. T.J. Warren, Chris Duarte, and Justin Holiday were short-term answers but weren't at the level the Pacers needed from those spots. Warren was good enough but missed almost two full seasons due to foot injuries.
The team was connected to Siakam via numerous reports in the offseason, but nothing ever got done. Two-way wing players are the most in-demand player type in the NBA, so it won't be easy for the blue and gold to acquire one despite their desire to do so.
General manager Chad Buchanan alluded to the franchise aggressively pursuing players that would be a positional fit around the NBA Draft, but no deal took place. The Pacers weren't willing to overpay for someone who wouldn't dramatically raise their ceiling.
"We were very, very aggressive pursuing a group of about five or six guys that would fit our timeline and fill a positional need," Buchanan said just after the draft. "Unfortunately, those guys were not available."
For now, the Pacers are playing well with their young core. They have won four games in a row and sit at 13-8. Their star player, Tyrese Haliburton, is only 23-years old and under contract for six more seasons. They have a long time to build the roster the way they see fit, and the team is a playoff-level group right now.
But the team's ceiling would be higher with a premier wing player, and the Pacers are willing to be aggressive and take risks to get one. Wojnarowski reported that the team is fine with the risk that comes with acquiring players on expiring contracts because Indiana believes they would be able to re-sign whoever they acquire. Playing with Haliburton, and for an ascending team, could be appealing to some of the league's best players.
"As the Pacers, you know that we're willing to risk giving up picks and assets," Wojnarowski said. Indiana has all of their own first-round picks going forward as well as one extra first rounder, and they have more than a half-dozen additional second-round picks. They can make significant trade offers to other teams if they are so inclined.
How aggressive the Pacers ultimately decide to be ahead of the February 8 trade deadline could depend on their record at the time. If they feel like they have a chance to win in the postseason, then they could be on the more aggressive, and risky, end of things. Time is on their side, but much of the Pacers direction could be learned in the next seven months as they pursue a high-quality wing to address their need for size.
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