According to SNY's Ian Begley, the Indiana Pacers have interest in acquiring Gordon Hayward from the Boston Celtics. In June, The IndyStar's J. Michael told NBC Sports Boston's A. Sherrod Blakely that the Pacers would “no doubt” have interest in acquiring Hayward from Boston.
This would be a forced transaction on the Pacers' end.
Hayward is entering the final season of a four-year, $127.8 million deal — if he presumably exercises his $34.2 million player option for next season.
In fairness, Hayward is coming off an encouraging season where he looked more like his pre-2017 self rather than his recovering 2019 self. (Hayward suffered a season-ending injury on opening night in 2017.) Averaging 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from beyond the arc, he was a smooth, versatile player in head coach Brad Stevens' offense.
Hayward would add a proven scorer to a Pacers offense that finished the regular season 19th in the NBA in offensive rating (109.5). While getting swept by the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, the shorthanded Pacers managed a meager 103.9 offensive rating, which wound up ranking 13th out of 16 playoff teams.
There are three crucial questions to a Hayward trade for the Pacers: What are they giving up? How would Hayward help them? How would the Butler product's arrival impact Victor Oladipo's future with the organization?
The Pacers are already over the projected salary cap thanks to several players corralling eight-figure salaries: Oladipo, Malcolm Brodgon, Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, T.J. Warren, and Jeremy Lamb. In any trade for Hayward, the Pacers would have to move at least one of those contracts to match salaries and could potentially need a third team to seal the deal.
Which player makes the most sense to send to Boston? Oladipo is entering a walk year; Brogdon may be the team's lead ball handler if Oladipo doesn't return; Sabonis is arguably their best player; Turner is a defensive mainstay; Warren averaged a career-best 19.8 points per game in the regular season; Lamb can get buckets in his own right.
Brogdon and/or Turner would make the most sense to include in a theoretical trade, as moving them would give the Pacers some future payroll flexibility. Hayward would replace Brogdon as a lead ball handler, and the organization could add a young big man in next month's NBA Draft.
With that said, does Hayward improve the Pacers?
He would give them something they already have: a frontline scorer. As alluded to earlier, Warren had a phenomenal 2019-20 season. Furthermore, he's an efficient outside shooter, effective off the dribble, and a respectable defender. One could argue that Warren is better than Hayward. Meanwhile, Sabonis is an inside threat, Turner can stretch the floor, and Brogdon is a historically efficient shooter.
If they move a big to get Hayward, the Pacers would become a bit quicker. Could this trade be a way to open up room to extend or re-sign Oladipo next summer? If so, is it worth the risk considering the Pacers have recently peaked in the first round of the playoffs with this core and are entering Year 1 of the Nate Bjorkgren era? Why would they depart with future first- and/or second-round picks?
Indiana's offense has been below average in recent memory, but Hayward would be a more-of-the-same addition. He's a half-court scorer who would be entering a half-court offense that hasn't really prospered.
Rumors have run ablaze with Oladipo over the last four months, and the writing on the wall appears to read that his time in Indiana is coming to a close within the next year. Does Hayward help him re-up? He does not. Could Oladipo be traded for Hayward? Such a deal wouldn't be of the same magnitude as the 2018 trade between the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs that most notably resulted in Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan exchanging homes.
The implications of a straight-up player-for-player swap or Hayward's mere arrival on Oladipo's future is difficult to forecast.
There's nothing wrong with the Pacers mixing up their roster. Frankly, some roster tinkering, especially in their starting five, could be a breath of fresh air. Albeit injuries have played a role (Sabonis this season and Oladipo last season), the Pacers struggled mightily in the postseason in all but one of Nate McMillan's seasons patrolling the sidelines. In fact, they were swept in the first round in three of his four seasons at the helm.
Making noise for the sake of doing so is the wrong play. If a worthwhile trade possibility emerges, then the Pacers should take a chance. As is, they likely don't fare any better next season than they have in years past.
Hayward isn't that enticing of a risk with one year left on his contract. He's a proven commodity, but one that isn't getting the Pacers to turn a corner. More importantly, he wouldn't add a new dimension to their offense.
Simply put, acquiring Gordon Hayward doesn't make sense for the Indiana Pacers.
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