Report: Pacers projected as team with prior interest in Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins, have previously called about Jonathan Kuminga
The Indiana Pacers already made a big transaction this season. They acquired Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors in mid-January, using many of their assets and key matching salaries to do it.
That may be the only trade Indiana makes this season. It took three first-round draft picks to get it done. Their lineups make more sense now. Their ceiling is higher. Perhaps a playoff push, then using the information from that run to make future roster decisions, is Indiana's best path forward.
But additional talent on the wing is something that every NBA team values, and the Pacers have some expiring contracts and a frontcourt logjam to sort out, so some reports have suggested Indiana may not be done making moves. The trade deadline is under a week away.
One team that multiple reports have connected the Pacers to is the Golden State Warriors. The bay area's team is currently four games under .500 and sits in 12th place in the Western Conference despite Stephen Curry playing at an All-Star level.
They could be a team that is interested in making moves ahead of the February 8 trade deadline. The first connection made between the Pacers and Warriors came from Yahoo Sports Senior NBA reporter Jake Fischer, who was chatting about Indiana on the No Cap Room podcast.
"I keep hearing Andrew Wiggins' name there (Indiana)," Fischer said about 14.5 minutes into the episode. "I know Jonathan Kuminga was also another Warriors player that the Pacers have been keeping tabs on and calling Golden State about dating back to last draft."
Fischer went on to explain that the blue and gold have been looking for defensive-minded four men, and that proved to be correct. This podcast episode came out before the Pacers acquired Siakam, so the dynamics of their interest in any Warriors forward has certainly changed.
That said, both Wiggins and Kuminga would be interesting for Indiana to consider. Wiggins is more of a gamble — he is having a down year statistically but has been better of late. His value on his current contract is hard to gauge. Is he a positive value player at his level of production? That requires faith in his ability to reach his old level of play, which he has over the last five games or so. In theory, he could slot in with Aaron Nesmith and Siakam well to form a quality forward rotation in Indianapolis.
Finding the right trade value, given Wiggins' contract and rocky season, is difficult. That's even harder for Kuminga. Less than a week before this podcast episode came out, The Athletic reported that the young forward had lost faith in head coach Steve Kerr.
That made Kuminga a hot name in trade rumors, but he has been fantastic of late. In the year 2024, the 2021 lottery pick is averaging 20.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Even if he is still upset with his role, it makes little sense for the Warriors to consider moving him given his age and upcoming extension eligibility. He's a major asset.
For all of those reasons, he makes sense as a trade target for every team in the league, Indiana included. But it would require a ton of assets to get Kuminga, if he is even available, and the Pacers have fewer of them after the Siakam deal.
Both Warriors forwards feel like less likely targets for the blue and gold after the Siakam trade, but given Golden State's poor season and expensive roster, their motivations in transactions are harder to predict.
Marc Stein, in his The Stein Line newsletter, reported that some rival teams believed the Pacers could be a Wiggins trade destination. "Indiana's well-known interest in Anunoby has also led some rival teams to project the Pacers as a potential landing spot for Golden State's Andrew Wiggins," Stein reported in mid-January. This report came after OG Anunoby was dealt to the New York Knicks but before the Pacers acquired Siakam.
With Siakam having shared a bit of his thinking about his long-term future as well as the Pacers having sent out multiple draft picks to acquire the star forward, Indiana's goals and motivations in trades have certainly changed. Both of these teams are worth keeping an eye on across the next six days, but the Pacers may be done dealing.
- Tyrese Haliburton is named a 2024 NBA All-Star starter, he will represent Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis. CLICK HERE.
- Pascal Siakam discusses long-term future with Indiana Pacers and upcoming free agency. CLICK HERE.
- Indiana Pacers trade deadline rumor tracker. CLICK HERE.
- Indiana Pacers blow 15-point lead in late loss to New York Knicks. CLICK HERE.
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