The Indiana Pacers should be one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NBA for the upcoming season. Tyrese Haliburton, Bruce Brown, and Bennedict Mathurin will be flying in transition, Obi Toppin will be on the receiving end of a ton of lobs from Haliburton, and Myles Turner will continue to be one of the best floor-spacing rim protectors in the league.
Even then, nothing yet is set in stone when it comes to their 2023-24 opening night roster. One key piece of their 2022-23 team appears to be on the way out of the team, while other players may end up being on the outside looking in on the Pacers rotation given the team's depth at their positions.
So with that said, here are the three Pacers players who could end up being involved in a trade before their opening night matchup against the Washington Wizards on October 25.
1. Buddy Hield
Buddy Hield was such a crucial piece for the Pacers since they acquired him in the trade that brought Tyrese Haliburton to Indianapolis. Hield is the kind of player every team with contending aspirations needs; he's one of the most audacious bombers from deep the league has ever seen. The 30-year old guard hasn't met a three-point shot he doesn't like, the gravity he provides with his incredible shot-making proving crucial in greasing the wheels of the Pacers' offense.
Last season, Hield shot 42.5 percent from deep on 8.5 attempts per night (making 3.6), amazing efficiency on such an eye-popping volume. Last year, only Klay Thompson made more threes for the entire season than the Pacers marksman, which goes to show just how elite he is in this facet of the game.
However, Buddy Hield and the Pacers failed to agree on a contract extension; it did not help matters at all that the Pacers are planning to start Bruce Brown and Bennedict Mathurin at the two and the three, which may have led to the disparity in contract talks between the two parties.
Now, the Pacers are reportedly looking into the possibility of trading Hield, who's currently in the last year of his deal. Given his floor-spacing skillset, he should be of interest to plenty of contending teams, although nothing appears to be imminent on that front.
2. Daniel Theis
Daniel Theis was simply salary filler for when the Pacers traded away Malcolm Brogdon to the Boston Celtics. Theis is currently set to make $9.1 million for the 2023-24 season, with a team option for 2024-25 worth $9.5 million, so he isn't exactly the most enticing trade asset especially after an injury-riddled season.
But Theis, during his 2023 FIBA World Cup stint for Germany, showed that he still got a lot of gas left in the tank. He excelled on the short roll with Dennis Schroder, pulling up from close range to dangerous effect, and he was also a nimble defensive presence, anchoring the paint for the team that won the gold medal.
Thus, Daniel Theis could be of interest to teams looking to bolster their frontcourt depth. It won't take too much to pry Theis from the Pacers anyway, since he's not a crucial piece for the team. At the five, the Pacers have Myles Turner and Isaiah Jackson shouldering the bulk of minutes, with Jarace Walker and Obi Toppin more than capable of sliding up in small-ball looks, so Theis, barring injury, will be buried deep in the rotation, opening up the possibility of a cut-rate trade.
3. Jalen Smith
When the Pacers bought low on Jalen Smith in 2022, it seemed like Stix was going to be a keeper for the team. He was a tall floor-spacer who protected the rim, a nightly double-double threat who flourished alongside Tyrese Haliburton's playmaking.
But Smith was not able to carry over his solid performances to end that year into the 2022-23 season. Entering the season as the team's starter at power forward, the Pacers quickly pivoted away from him when he put up inefficient numbers and was lackluster defensively. In the end, head coach Rick Carlisle decided to rely on 6'5 Aaron Nesmith instead to fill in at the four, which says a lot about how the team viewed Smith.
Only 23 years old, Jalen Smith still has room to grow. But the Pacers may not have room for him. The Pacers recently drafted Jarace Walker to be a long-term piece for the team at the four, and they also bought low on highflyer Obi Toppin, who looks like he'll be entering the year as the team's starting power forward.
With Nesmith and Jordan Nwora sure to get some minutes at the four when the Pacers go small, that will leave Smith as the odd man out, which could lead to an eventual trade.
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