Report: Some NBA executives believe Indiana Pacers could make trade involving frontcourt or Buddy Hield
The Indiana Pacers already made a big trade during the 2023-24 season, bringing in forward Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors. A deal of that significance may be the only thing the Pacers do this season — it's a timeline altering and franchise-direction changing move.
But there are some questions that have to be answered by Indiana's front office as a result of the deal. They have some interesting expiring contracts on the roster in Buddy Hield and Obi Toppin, and they added a frontcourt player in Siakam. That creates a logjam at the four and five spots with Siakam, Myles Turner, Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin, Jalen Smith, and Isaiah Jackson all deserving of minutes while Jarace Walker waits for his turn.
Because of those side effects from the deal, the Pacers may still have some moves to make this season, though they could opt to sort everything out in the offseason. Because of those considerations, a recent report from HoopsHype's Michael Scotto about transactions the blue and gold may be considering makes a ton of sense.
"The result, however, creates a logjam within Indiana's frontcourt, with Jalen Smith, Toppin, and Walker competing for limited playing time behind Siakam," Scotto's report from earlier this month begins. "Given Indiana's newfound frontcourt conundrum and the notion outside the organization that Hield would eventually be moved to give [Bennedict] Mathurin, [Andrew] Nembhard, and [Ben] Sheppard more playing time looking ahead, rival executives believe the Pacers could make another trade to bolster their team before the deadline."
Both aspects of this report are fascinating. The Pacers don't have to sort out their frontcourt right now — Toppin and Smith (player option) are both on contracts that could end after this season, but both may be back. Hield, meanwhile, will become an unrestricted free agent in July, but he could have his contract extended between now and June 30. While the Pacers lose a ton of leverage if they don't move Hield before the trade deadline, their attachment to him is not necessarily over after that date passes.
With Siakam in the fold, the Pacers are clearly chasing wins and have development as a secondary goal. That makes a Hield trade even trickier. The sweet-shooting guard could help the team make a playoff push and be valuable in the postseason, so trading him away would have to either net no-brainer draft capital or an equally strong player with a longer contract. That's easier said than done, though — previous reporting suggested the Pacers were looking to package Hield and a first-round pick in search of upgrades.
The Pacers may want to keep Hield, and they could opt to hold on to all of their frontcourt pieces and sort it all out in the summer. But if they can balance their roster or their finances in a way that makes sense, perhaps rival executives will prove to be correct. They could end up making another move.
The trade deadline is on February 8, just over one week away. The Pacers could be done changing their team, but they are worth keeping an eye on in the next eight days.
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