3 players the Indiana Pacers should NOT trade away

Indiana </a>Pacers were preparing to blow up their core after a rough start to the season.</p> <p>Among the names bandied about in The Athletic’s report were Caris LeVert, Domantas Sabonis, and Myles Turner. It’s not clear if the Pacers will ultimately move any of those players, but it seems unlikely they would move all of them, regardless.</p> <p>Malcolm Brogdon seems like a logical trade candidate, on the same general career trajectory as the other players mentioned. He’s ineligible to be traded this season but could be on the block after the year ends.</p> <h2>Which 3 players should the Indiana Pacers not trade?</h2> <p>There’s an <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/12/indiana-pacers-trade-not/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/08/indiana-pacers-trades-nba-rumors/">endless amount of rumors</a> that can be analyzed about pieces the Pacers would depart with and who they could get in return, or what kind of picks the team could compile. But let’s take a look at the situation from another angle – who should Indiana keep?</p> <p>The Pacers have some young players on the roster like Isaiah Jackson and Chris Duarte, both first-round selections in the most recent NBA Draft. It might be too soon to say if either one of them is a building block for the future, though.</p> <p>According to The Athletic, T.J. Warren wants to stick around, but he has barely been able to take the court since he went supernova in the bubble. So what should team president Kevin Pritchard do? Here are three players he should definitely keep.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/12/indiana-pacers-trade-not/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 3 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_438947" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-438947" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/12/indiana-pacers-trade-not/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1354529925.jpeg" alt="NBA Players" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1354529925.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1354529925-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – NOVEMBER 20: Malcolm Brogdon #7 of the Indiana Pacers passes the ball in the game against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 20, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>Players the Indiana Pacers should not trade away: 3. Malcolm Brogdon</h2> <p>Okay, this might be cheating since Malcolm Brogdon is literally untradable at the moment, but there is value in holding on to him for as long as possible anyways. Brogdon is arguably the best player on the Pacers this season. He’s averaging 19.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game.</p> <p>The point guard hasn’t been shooting as well as he historically does, but he’s still bringing immense value to the Pacers. His offensive box/plus-minus of 3.2 ranks 19th in the league. He’s also one of the league leaders in minutes, averaging 35.5 per game.</p> <p>In an ideal world for the Pacers, a rebuild could actually increase Brogdon’s value, at least briefly. Picture this – less talent on the roster means the guard has to take on an even bigger role. His stats rise as the team revolves completely around him.</p> <p>Then, the team moves him at next year’s trade deadline, one of the biggest players available for a contender one piece away from a championship-caliber team. It’s not that far-fetched.</p> <p>Of course, things could backfire just as easily. Brogdon could pout if he’s the last man standing and refuse to play or play with effort (although that would seem greatly out of character). All of the losing could also hamper his trade value.</p> <p>For now, it’s somewhat a moot point – Brogdon is literally not eligible to be traded this season. But it’s in the Pacers’ best interest to hold on to him until he hits the peak of his value to a contender, anyway.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/12/indiana-pacers-trade-not/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_437817" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-437817" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/12/indiana-pacers-trade-not/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1350903423.jpeg" alt="NBA Top Shot" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1350903423.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1350903423-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Chris Duarte #3 of the Indiana Pacers dribbles the ball in the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>Players the Indiana Pacers should not trade away: 2. Chris Duarte</h2> <p>Of the most recent crop of Pacers draft picks, Chris Duarte has shown the most potential, starting a majority of his games for the team. The Oregon alum has performed well, validating his lottery selection.</p> <p>The rookie is averaging 13.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He’s connected on 42.6 percent of his shots, including 34.3 percent of his three-pointers.</p> <p>Duarte doesn’t have a clear weakness when shooting from the field, making him a threat to hit a jumper from anywhere. He’s shooting at least 40 percent from every range of two-point distance, led by his 59.3 percent accuracy within three feet of the hoop.</p> <p>The young guard is bringing more on the defensive side than the offensive side right now. He’s accounted for 0.7 win shares on the defensive end, but an even 0.0 on the offensive end.</p> <p>One of the rubs with Duarte when he was selected is that he’s not particularly young for a rookie. In fact, he’s one of the oldest rookies in recent memory. He’s 24 years old and already halfway to his 25th birthday, so his peak may already be at hand.</p> <p>But he’s a match between the brightest and youngest hope Indiana has as the franchise looks towards its future. It’s worth trying to build something around him, even if he never develops into an All-Star caliber player.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/12/indiana-pacers-trade-not/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_439274" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-439274" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/12/indiana-pacers-trade-not/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2135,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1355762600.jpeg" alt="3 Indiana Pacers trades based on recent NBA rumors" width="3200" height="2135" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1355762600.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1355762600-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – NOVEMBER 26: Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Indiana Pacers reacts after being fouled in the third quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 26, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>Players the Indiana Pacers should not trade away: 1. Domantas Sabonis</h2> <p>At the end of the day, the Pacers are going to have to pick one player to try to rebuild around. Their best shot is Domantas Sabonis.</p> <p>The 25-year-old is on pace to average a double-double for the third straight season. He’s averaging 18.2 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, along with 4.2 assists per contest.</p> <p>Sabonis is back to his old efficiency from the field, too. He’s hitting 58.4 percent from the field, ranking eighth in the NBA. It’s reminiscent of when he finished seventh in the league in 2018-19, when he hit 59 percent of his shots.</p> <p>The big man is also doing a good job getting to the line. Sabonis has attempted 130 free throws this season already, good for 16th in the NBA.</p> <p>Sabonis is an imperfect player. He was one of the league leaders in turnovers last season and is on pace to make the list again this year. He’s also committed 93 personal fouls this year. No one in the league has committed more.</p> <p>But no player on the Pacers has a higher ceiling than Sabonis, who will remain 25 years old for most of the season. He’s made the All-Star Game in each of the last two seasons and can easily do so again.</p> <p>Comparing him to the other major players on Indiana, he’s younger than LeVert and Brogdon and more proficient on the offensive end than Turner.</p> <p>This Pacers rebuild could be ugly or it could come to pass without any movement at all as Pritchard stays the course. Only time will tell if Indiana makes the right decisions to vault back into contention.</p> <div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Rumors - Myles Turner wants out of Indiana" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/10/nba-trade-rumors-myles-turner-indiana-pacers/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/12/indiana-pacers-trade-not/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/10/nba-trade-rumors-myles-turner-indiana-pacers/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Rumors - Myles Turner wants out of Indiana </a> </div> </div><!—pageview_candidate—>">