How This Trade Impacts Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers dug themselves a deep hole to climb out of to start the season. They have done a solid job of getting things on track, but the Eastern Conference is going to be a dog fight throughout the season.

If they decide they aren’t going to be part of the race, they may start trading players to stockpile assets. This deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder involving Myles Turner would be just that.

The Pacers would be getting back decent rotation pieces in Derrick Favors and Kenrich Williams. Favors can help soak up some of the minutes at the center spot that would be vacated by Turner, but also enable Domantas Sabonis to move over to the center spot. While Favors isn’t the defender that Turner is, he is more than serviceable defensively.

Williams would provide Indiana with some depth on the wing and in the frontcourt. He is a versatile player that does a little bit of everything and can space the floor a bit. His ability to defend multiple positions is something the Pacers could use more of as well.

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The biggest takeaway from this deal would be the two first-round picks the Pacers are picking up. While the Phoenix Suns and LA Clippers will likely be picking late in the first round, it would present them with a lot of options.

They would have three first-round picks, giving them ammunition to move up the draft board if there was a prospect they wanted. Or, they could package the picks to improve a trade package for a player such as Ben Simmons.

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While the Pacers may take a step back in the present from this deal, their future could be much brighter depending on how the draft picks are used.