Shortly before Thursday afternoon's trade deadline, the Indiana Pacers threw their hat into the NBA soap opera by trading wing shooter Buddy Hield to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for a combination centered around role players and a pick. Hield had been a part of what had been a revamped Pacers offense this season led by Tyrese Haliburton and now figures to try to help keep the 76ers afloat while they deal with the absence of reigning league MVP Joel Embiid.

The departure of Hield would seem to signify a leap of faith for the Pacers in young wing Bennedict Mathurin, who has shown promise in his increased role with the franchise this season. Now, head coach Rick Carlisle is getting one hundred percent real on what the big trade means for Mathurin's future.

“He's playing a lot anyway. … This certainly enhances his importance to what we're doing right now,” said Carlisle, per Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter.

“There are going to be some adjustments for sure. This creates some opportunity for some other guys whether they're here already or they're incoming.”

The Pacers have (mostly) been on a roll since acquiring Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors last month, hoping to make a real push in the Eastern Conference playoffs, which begin in just over two months. In any case, Mathurin and the Pacers next take the floor on Thursday evening against the Golden State Warriors at home.