This Trade Offer Could Solve Indiana Pacers' Center Problem

7 jam yang lalu

The Indiana Pacers are expected to beryllium 1 of nan bigger sellers successful nan convention up of nan Feb. 5 waste and acquisition deadline.

The squad is 9-32 successful nan first half of nan season, suggesting location whitethorn request to beryllium immoderate changes made, particularly erstwhile it comes to nan frontcourt. CBS Sports writer Sam Quinn conjured up a trade that would nonstop Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and a first-round prime to nan Dallas Mavericks for Daniel Gafford and Dante Exum.

"This mightiness beryllium a spread year, but nan Pacers still request to find a halfway for adjacent year. Gafford is nan easiest fresh into their net structure. He's not a shooter for illustration Myles Turner was, but he should beryllium a fresh successful Indiana's up-tempo discourtesy regardless," Quinn wrote. The costs present is meaningful. A first-round prime adjacent year, albeit 1 pinch a lottery protection successful lawsuit Tyrese Haliburton isn't 100%, and a bully young subordinate successful Bennedict Mathurin.

"The Pacers are astir apt going to struggle to re-sign Mathurin successful restricted free agency fixed really overmuch money they person allocated elsewhere (and request to sphere for a center), truthful utilizing him to get a large man now makes plentifulness of sense. Dallas has a spot much semipermanent financial wiggle room, truthful nan Mavericks would astir apt for illustration nan thought of bringing successful Mathurin arsenic a imaginable semipermanent teammate for Cooper Flagg."

Dallas Mavericks guardant Daniel Gafford looks to walk against nan Utah Jazz. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Pacers get Daniel Gafford successful waste and acquisition thought pinch Mavericks

The Pacers are successful request of a halfway aft Turner didn't motion pinch nan squad successful free agency past summer. Jay Huff has been holding nan fort down, but it's clear that cannot beryllium a semipermanent action for nan team.

Adding Gafford, a subordinate pinch Finals acquisition and aggregate years connected his contract, gives nan Pacers personification reliable successful nan station that tin fulfill their needs for much than conscionable nan clip being. Gafford is successful a spot of a logjam pinch nan Mavericks playing alongside Dereck Lively II and Anthony Davis.

While some Lively and Davis are wounded for nan Mavs, nan squad is expected to sprout for a lottery prime this summer, truthful that shouldn't wholly deter them from trading Gafford earlier nan deadline.

The Pacers are backmost successful action astatine location against nan New Orleans Pelicans. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET wrong Cambridge Fieldhouse. Fans tin watch nan crippled connected FanDuel Sports Network aliases watercourse it connected NBA League Pass.