Death, taxes, and the Indiana Pacers fielding a well-coached and competitive basketball team. Despite losing seven of their past ten games, the Pacers are still right in the thick of the playoff race. In the uber-tight Eastern Conference, where three games mark the difference between the 10th placed team and 4th, every incremental move forward can exponentially increase a team's post-season hopes. With the NBA's March 28th Trade Deadline rapidly approaching, here are the two trades the Pacers need to make to punch their playoff ticket.
Cavaliers Recieve: Jeremy Lamb, 2021 2nd Round Pick (via Milwaukee), 2021 2nd Round Pick (via Utah)
Pacers Receive Larry Nance Jr.
The logic here is simple: with the return of Caris LeVert, the Pacers effectively have two other guys that can do what Jeremy Lamb does. Lamb brings with him a modest 11 points per game average, decent shooting, and a mildly significant bench presence. However, defensively he's a no-show. He's the definition of a luxury player given the current construction of the Pacers roster.
Pacers Add A Defender
Nance Jr. on the other hand, has been one of the league's best wing defenders all season long and maintains one of the highest assist usage ratios for his position, per Cleaning The Glass. He also adds a veteran presence with championship experience. Nance doesn't need the ball in order to impact the flow of the offense. In head coach Nate Bjorkgren's creative defensive scheme, Nance's versatility would be welcomed. He'd be the perfect upgrade at the position given the needs of this team coming down the stretch.
The only question for the Pacers should be price. Is a high-end role player worth two assets and a solid wing option? This kind of trade is also entirely contingent on LeVert's growth as an offensive option. If general manager Chad Buchanan believes that LeVert can become Brandon Ingram-lite, then a move like this that exchanges offense for defense is a perfect solution.
Hawks Recieve: Jeremy Lamb, 2021 2nd Round Pick (via Milwaukee), 2021 2nd Round Pick (via Utah)
Pacers Receive Tony Snell and Cam Reddish
The Atlanta Hawks are currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings, have had a roller-coaster season. After a shopping spree of an offseason, the expectations were through the roof for this squad.
Since then, there've been internal disagreements, a stretch of seven losses in eight days, and a fired head coach. One of the complications has been the mixed development of Cam Reddish, who started the season strong but has regressed into a tertiary role in the Hawks depth charts. A shooting stud at Duke, Reddish wasn't expected to be this much of a project, and given the development of De'Andre Hunter as the young wing of choice, a change of scenery may be what Reddish needs. An Achilles injury will keep him out another 4-6 weeks, so it's a potential buy-low situation for Indiana.
For the Pacers, the objective here is simple: obtain shooters. Tony Snell currently leads all NBA players in three-point percentage at 56% and would be a perfect replacement for Lamb. Though the price of two first-round picks may be steep, Atlanta would accept no less for a sharpshooter and a young gun who oozes potential.
Follow Us
Subscribe