Indiana Pacers

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said forward Domantas Sabonis suffered a left ankle sprain during Wednesday's win over the Los Angeles Lakers that's "probably going to be significant."

Carlisle said Sabonis, who posted a triple-double with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in 35 minutes, played through the injury to help secure the 111-104 victory, led by a key three-pointer with less than three minutes left in the fourth quarter.

"He was not gonna come out of this game," Carlisle told reporters. "He was determined to help will us to the win along with Caris [LeVert] and the guys who were out there. ... The 3-point shot that Sabonis hit on the bad ankle was one of the big shots of the year and just a guy that was completely determined to pull us through this thing."

Sabonis suffered the injury in the fourth quarter after he landed on Russell Westbrook's foot as he came down from grabbing a rebound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfsIQqpy_Z8

The 25-year-old Gonzaga product has been a force for the Pacers this season. He's averaged 19.0 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.0 steals across 44 appearances and ranks 10th among all NBA players in FiveThirtyEight's WAR metric.

Unfortunately for the Pacers, his strong individual performance hasn't led to consistent team success, as they have posted a 16-29 record. And now the injuries are starting to mount.

Along with Sabonis, Myles Turner and T.J. Warren are both sidelined by foot injuries, while T.J. McConnell is out after undergoing hand surgery in December.

That's a significant amount of talent on the sideline, and their absences will make it difficult for Indiana to chase down a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

In the case of Sabonis and Turner, the injuries could also alter the Pacers' plans leading up to the 2022 NBA trade deadline on Feb. 10. Both players were heavily speculated about as being trade targets for contenders in the coming weeks.

Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz of The Athletic reported in December that Sabonis, Turner and guard Caris LeVert had all "garnered significant interest from rival teams" as Indiana weighed a potential rebuild amid its sluggish start to the campaign.

The good news for Indiana is that Turner is under contract for next season and Sabonis has two more years left on his deal, so it's not a now-or-never situation in terms of maximizing their value in a trade if the franchise begins looking toward the future.

Ideally for the Pacers, they would be able to reshape the depth around that frontcourt tandem, which is one of the NBA's best, and vault back toward contention next season. But this season's poor performance has put the front office in a difficult position in terms of weighing short-term hopes and long-term goals.

In the immediate future, the expected loss of Sabonis is a massive setback, with Indiana in the midst of playing seven games in 11 days.

The Indiana Pacers overcame a 15-point first-half deficit to earn a 111-104 road win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday.

Pacers guard Caris LeVert caught fire in the fourth quarter, scoring 22 of his 30 points. Indiana big man Domantas Sabonis added a 20-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist triple-double. Their efforts helped Indiana outscore L.A. 35-24 in the final 12 minutes.

LeBron James' 30 points and 12 rebounds led the 22-23 Lakers, who have lost four of their last five games. Talen Horton-Tucker dropped 20 points and seven assists off the bench.

The Pacers continued to play without center Myles Turner (stress reaction in left foot). Lakers big man Anthony Davis sat for the 15th straight game with a sprained MCL.

Indiana guard Malcolm Brogdon returned to the court after sitting because of Achilles soreness. He had missed all but 25 minutes of game action since Dec. 16 with the injury.

Brogdon's comeback certainly had a positive effect on the Pacers, as the former University of Virginia star posted 19 points and six assists. With the win, the 16-29 Pacers also broke a four-game losing streak.

    

Notable Performances

Pacers C Domantas Sabonis: 20 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists

Pacers G Caris LeVert: 30 points, 8 rebounds

Pacers G Malcolm Brogdon: 19 points, 6 assists

Lakers F LeBron James: 30 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists

Lakers G Talen Horton-Tucker: 20 points, 7 assists

Lakers G Russell Westbrook: 14 points

   

LeVert's Dominant 4th Quarter Leads to Win

It was all LeVert in the final frame, dominating the Lakers' weak defense en route to an encouraging win for a struggling, shorthanded team.

A LeVert three-point play helped the Pacers tie the game at 85, a result that was achieved in part because Carmelo Anthony got a technical for throwing the ball against the stanchion.

Great work by LeVert and Lamb to tie it up!
Stream: https://t.co/q9zoTrv89w#GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/zi1RgDvgDf

— FanDuel Sports Network Indiana (@FanDuelSN_IND) January 20, 2022

      

The Lakers responded with a bucket, but LeVert fired right back with a three:

A big 3 from Caris gives the #Pacers the lead!
Stream: https://t.co/q9zoTrv89w#GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/hMF31z23Ky

— FanDuel Sports Network Indiana (@FanDuelSN_IND) January 20, 2022

LeVert stayed hot, hitting this midrange jumper for a 97-90 edge:

Caris LeVert could not be hotter right now. 🔥🔥🔥
Stream: https://t.co/q9zoTrv89w#GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/wofLaLfmJB

— FanDuel Sports Network Indiana (@FanDuelSN_IND) January 20, 2022

That bucket occurred during a stretch where the Pacers scored on seven straight possessions.

Before that span, Indiana was down 87-85. When it ended, the Pacers were up 101-94. Along the way, LeVert had 12 points and an assist.

If not for a meaningless James layup with three seconds remaining, LeVert's 22 fourth-quarter points would have matched the Lakers' total as a team.

After the game, Sabonis gave his teammate a ton of credit.

Sabonis on LeVert's 22-point fourth quarter: "He made all the right reads. They were giving him his mid-range, he was scoring and then he was going downhill. He was efficient. That's a big-time player. He's our scorer and we need him."#GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/SpqYKEST4u

— FanDuel Sports Network Indiana (@FanDuelSN_IND) January 20, 2022

We'll soon find out if the Pacers can use this win, which was also helped by Brogdon's return, to lead to a late-season push to qualify for the playoffs.

For now, LeVert showcasing his dominant ceiling is encouraging as the second half of the year gets underway.

    

Lakers Reach a New Low

The Lakers' worst loss of the year arguably occurred last Saturday, when L.A. fell 133-96 to the Denver Nuggets.

But the Nuggets are a winning team that sports the NBA's hottest (and best) player in reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.

The Pacers' loss might be more troublesome, especially when considering that Indiana would have had twice as many defeats as wins if it fell to Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Instead, the Pacers rolled over the host Lakers in the fourth quarter as L.A. was left searching for more answers after another puzzling loss.

The same problems that have been prevalent all year occurred yet again.

Nine-time All-Star Russell Westbrook continued to struggle, shooting just 5-of-17 from the field after making just 30.3 percent of his field goals in the six games leading into Wednesday.

It was a discouraging result considering Westbrook made his first three shots from beyond the three-point line only to struggle down the stretch.

He also finished with a minus-18 mark, and head coach Frank Vogel opted to bench the star in the final minutes of the game.

Overall, the starting lineup largely failed to produce around James, posting just 24 points on 8-of-28 shooting in 79 total minutes of court time.

The bench nearly saved the Lakers, with Horton-Tucker dropping his 20 points (9-of-14 shooting) with seven assists and Carmelo Anthony adding 14 points and seven boards.

The Lakers' loss also overshadowed another milestone for James, who became the 42nd player in league history to record his 10,000th career rebound. He also became the first player ever to score 30,000 points, grab 10,000 rebounds, and dish out 9,000 assists.

But the real problem was that the Lakers' defense, which has been problematic all season, reared its ugly head in the fourth quarter.

The unit had zero answers for LeVert and Sabonis, who ultimately ended up scoring the Pacers' final 16 points as the Lakers were unable to cut Indiana's lead below five points down the stretch.

L.A. entered Wednesday 17th in defensive rating, per Basketball-Reference, after finishing first the year before despite missing James and Davis for huge chunks of the year due to injury.

A roster overhaul over the offseason has led to a far worse defensive team, and now the Lakers are in a position where they may struggle just to get out of the play-in tournament.

     

What's Next?

Indiana will visit the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco's Chase Center on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET. The Lakers will hit the road to face the Orlando Magic on Friday at 7 p.m. in Amway Center.

Caris LeVert is reportedly the Indiana Pacers player most likely to be traded by the Feb. 10 deadline.

Michael Scotto of Hoopshype reported Myles Turner's injury temporarily took the center off the market and brought LeVert into focus. The Pacers are expected to be among the biggest sellers of the deadline period as they shift into a rebuilding period.

LeVert came to the Pacers last January as part of the four-team trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. His debut for Indiana was delayed until March after doctors found a cancerous mass in LeVert's kidney when he underwent a physical. 

The 27-year-old immediately returned to form once he made his Pacers debut and has remained a solid secondary scorer in 2021-22. He's averaging 18.1 points, 4.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds. A stint in health and safety protocols cost him two weeks of action this month, but he's returned for two 20-point efforts in his last three contests.

The Pacers have nonetheless dropped all three games since LeVert's return and are 15-29 on the season. Turner is expected to be out of the lineup beyond the trade deadline after being diagnosed with a stress reaction in his foot.

That leaves LeVert as the best possible candidate to land the Pacers a first-round pick and a young player by the deadline, provided they don't listen to offers for Domantas Sabonis. 

Indiana Pacers star center Myles Turner is set to miss at least the next two weeks due to injury.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Pacers said Tuesday that Turner will be reevaluated in two weeks after suffering a stress reaction in his left foot.

The 25-year-old is having another productive season inside for the Pacers. Through 42 games, he's averaging 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. He's on pace to lead the NBA in blocks for the third time in four years.

However, things have not gone according to plan for Indiana, which sits 13th in the Eastern Conference at 15-29.

The Athletic's Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz reported in December the organization could be receptive to a rebuild, with Turner among the players potentially on the trade block. He also spoke with Jared Weiss of The Athletic about his general frustration regarding his role on the team.

Turner's injury arguably means less for Indiana on the court and carries more ramifications toward the likelihood of him moving before the Feb. 10 trade deadline. His departure seems more probable than not, but prospective suitors might balk if they're concerned about his health for the second half of the season.

While Turner is on the shelf, the Pacers' frontcourt depth will be tested in the coming weeks.

Two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis will be the go-to guy on the interior until Turner returns, while center Goga Bitadze figures to see a huge increase in minutes as well given the Pacers' dearth of big men.

The Indiana Pacers could be ready for a fire sale ahead of the Feb. 10 trade deadline, but the team is still seeking large returns for key players.

According to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, the Pacers want "two first-round picks or a promising young player and a first-round pick" in exchange for Myles Turner.

The Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets are among those interested in the center. 

Caris LeVert is also reportedly available, per Scotto, with Indiana seeking a first-round pick and a good young player. The Cleveland Cavaliers are considered a potential landing spot for the guard.

Both players are under contract through the 2022-23 season, but the Pacers could get a head start on their rebuild after a disappointing 15-28 start to the year. Despite talent on the roster, the organization is headed to its second straight losing season and its eighth year without winning a playoff series.

It could allow contenders to add useful players for the home stretch of the season.

Turner has been one of the top rim-protectors in the NBA in recent years, currently leading the league with 2.8 blocks per game. It would be his third time leading the NBA in this category, while he has also added 12.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game this year.

Interested teams will have to monitor Turner's foot injury, however, as he is out for Monday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

LeVert could be a quality addition to teams seeking a scoring boost, entering the day with an average of 17.8 points and 4.2 assists per game.

Consistency has been a problem for the 27-year-old guard throughout his career with the Pacers and Brooklyn Nets, but he can get hot in a hurry and carry an offense. He has reached 20 points in 11 of 30 games this year, including a 31-point effort in a win over the Detroit Pistons.

The guard could be a difference-maker in the playoffs, but contenders must determine if he is worth the high price on the trade market.   

The Portland Trail Blazers have reportedly shown interest in Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline on Feb. 10, with CJ McCollum potentially being included in talks.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Friday on The Hoop Collective podcast (11-minute mark) the Blazers continue to focus on high-end trade targets despite Damian Lillard undergoing abdominal surgery that's expected to sideline him for at least six weeks:

The Blazers don't want to trade these guys for second-year players. They want some guys who are going to instantaneously be re-contenders next year. They just want to retrofit what they've got and so that's where McCollum comes in. [Jusuf] Nurkic has been eligible for an extension and he hasn't gotten one. They haven't been able to work out a deal and so maybe Nurkic ends up staying because Nurkic and Lillard have been terrific pick-and-roll partners over the years. I don't think there's a desire to get out of Nurkic. One of the guys I've been told that the Blazers have some interest in is Myles Turner with the Pacers.

Portland has struggled throughout the first half of the regular season. It owns a 15-26 record, which ranks 10th in the Western Conference, and a 3-7 mark over the past 10 games. The poor performance has been driven by a miserable 2-14 record in road games.

Fading to the fringe of playoff contention combined with Lillard's injury raised questions about how the Blazers planned to move forward for the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign and beyond.

McCollum, who's nearing a return from a collapsed lung that's kept him out since early December, could emerge as a key trade chip in the weeks ahead.

The 30-year-old Ohio native had struggled with his shot at times before the injury—his 42.4 shooting percentage represents his lowest mark since his rookie season in 2013-14—but his other numbers were either at or above his career averages.

Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer assessed McCollum's trade value on Thursday:

Assessing the interest for McCollum is somewhat difficult given his recent collapsed lung and a decline in production at the age of 30. But former GM Neil Olshey's regime valued McCollum quite highly, and there's a sense among some rival executives that McCollum would have a sizable market at a lower evaluation than Olshey may have held.

Fischer also noted the Blazers' interest in Turner, though they are far from alone. He listed the Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings as other potential landing spots for the Pacers star.

Turner, 25, is enjoying another strong season in Indiana. He's averaged 13 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.8 blocks while shooting a career-best 51.6 percent from the field.

Like the Blazers, however, the Pacers have struggled to remain afloat in the playoff picture with a 15-27 record and could look to shake up their core ahead of the deadline.

It could set the stage for a blockbuster deal between the teams, though Indiana would likely want significant future assets included if the deal features a Turner-McCollum base.

The Indiana Pacers are reportedly "ramping up" trade talks for guard Caris LeVert as they seemingly pivot into rebuilding mode.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the Cleveland Cavaliers are among the teams expected to express interest.

The Cavs are looking to bolster their backcourt depth after losing Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton to injuries. They've already traded for Rajon Rondo, but the veteran is more of a stopgap than an effective rotation player at this point of his career.

The Pacers acquired LeVert last January as part of a four-team trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. Team doctors discovered a small cancerous mass in LeVert's left kidney as part of his trade physical, costing him two months of action. LeVert returned to play 35 games with the Pacers last season and has remained largely healthy in 2021-22, averaging 17.8 points, 4.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds.

While he hasn't developed into an All-Star-caliber layer, LeVert is an effective scorer who can fit in any lineup off the bench or as part of a reserve unit. He's also playing at a $17.5 million base salary this season that is about the going rate for someone of his skill set and is only under contract through 2022-23.

It's likely a team would give up a protected first-round pick and a non-elite young player as part of a trade package for LeVert ahead of the trade deadline. 

Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis is reportedly drawing trade interest from fringe playoff contenders and the NBA teams already looking toward the future.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported the update Tuesday on The Mismatch podcast (via HoopsHype).

"I've had a handful of executives around the league tell me when it comes to Sabonis deals…they're like, 'Look for some teams that aren’t thinking about contending,'" O'Connor said. "Look for some teams that are maybe on the fringes or teams that are even just in the lottery."

Sabonis is one of the top players who could be moved before the Feb. 10 trade deadline. He's averaging 18.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 58.3 percent from the field in 32 appearances this season. He ranks 11th among all NBA players in FiveThirtyEight's WAR metric. 

His contract situation makes him far more than a high-profile rental addition at the deadline, though.

The 25-year-old Gonzaga product is in the second season of a four-year, $74.9 million contract that runs through 2023-24. The deal includes a modest $19.8 million cap hit that actually drops slightly over the next two years.

In turn, it's no surprise Sabonis is drawing interest from a wide range of potential suitors.

His age, contract and production make him a potential building block for the future, regardless of a team's current place in the standings, but it also raises questions about whether the Pacers are actually going to move him despite the widespread interest.

Indiana could demand a king's ransom of young players and draft picks, but even then the ultimate goal is acquiring and developing a player who could maybe reach the same top-10 level along with other pieces. Anything less wouldn't move the team in a positive direction.

For his part, Sabonis said in early December he wanted to stay with the Pacers alongside center Myles Turner, who's also become the focus of trade speculation.

"We want to be here," the two-time All-Star told reporters. "And as long as we represent the team and have that jersey on our backs we're gonna come out and compete."

A lot could depend on how the Pacers perform between now and the deadline.

Indiana sits 13th in the Eastern Conference with a lackluster 13-19 record. A solid 10-7 record at home has been offset by a dreadful 3-12 mark away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

It's only 2.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors (14-15) for the final berth in the play-in tournament, so it wouldn't take a miraculous run to climb the standings. If Sabonis, Turner and Co. can play a little over .500 basketball the rest of the way, they'd be right in the mix.

The quest to improve their playoff outlook and potentially eliminate any plans for a deadline fire sale continues Thursday when the Pacers host the Houston Rockets (10-22).

It didn't take the Miami Heat long to bounce back from their loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Miami defeated the Indiana Pacers 125-96 in Tuesday's Eastern Conference clash at FTX Arena. Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro led the way for the victors, who improved to 19-13 overall and 5-2 in their last seven games.

Boy Wonder showin' out and the crowd is HYPE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EAetIIM7dx

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 22, 2021

A solid showing from Chris Duarte wasn't enough for the Pacers, who dropped to 13-19 and saw the momentum they created with a 4-2 stretch come to an end.

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Notable Player Stats

• Kyle Lowry, G, MIA: 8 PTS, 12 AST, 11 REB, 2 STL
• Duncan Robinson, G MIA: 26 PTS, 6-of-10 3PT
• Tyler Herro, G, MIA: 26 PTS, 5 AST, 5-of-8 3PT
• Caris LeVert, G, IND: 17 PTS, 4, REB, 3 AST, 4-of-15 FG
• Chris Duarte, G, IND: 17 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL

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Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro Highlight Dominant Heat Win

If the Heat make the playoffs and challenge in the Eastern Conference, Tuesday's roster surely won't be the one they are hoping to rely on with a championship on the line. After all, they were without Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, P.J. Tucker, Caleb Martin, Markieff Morris and Victor Oladipo and figured to have their hands full keeping pace with Indiana.

And then the game actually happened.

Miami wasted no time setting the tone while jumping out to a commanding 23-point halftime lead behind its red-hot three-point shooting. Robinson led the way from the perimeter with four triples before intermission, while Herro aggressively sought out his shot and flew through the air for a monster dunk.

TYLER HERRO COOKIN' https://t.co/ioxKyLJiYq

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 22, 2021

Herro down the lane 🔨 https://t.co/7hi7gwgxSH

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 22, 2021

Lowry threw a dime on this play 👀 pic.twitter.com/xRs0PTmpjF

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 22, 2021

Duncan Robinson gets the EASY layup ✅

He's got 26 PTS. pic.twitter.com/cnPhxcxtMf

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 22, 2021

Lowry also stood out as the primary facilitator with the ball in his hands so often, and he battled for boards from the backcourt to help make up for the lack of overall depth across the roster.

The Heat continued to put on a show in the second half and closed the third quarter with a 13-2 run to remove any doubt about the outcome.

Robinson stretched the floor with his shooting, which opened up driving lanes for Herro and Lowry. Lowry took advantage of those openings by getting into the lane and then kicking out on his way to double-digit assists, and Max Strus got in on the action with his own three-point barrage.

Many of those who were so dialed in during Tuesday's blowout win will be role players when the roster is more intact, but these games should only bolster their confidence and make Miami all the more dangerous come playoff time.

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Pacers Defense Goes Missing in Loss

The Pacers may be better than their record indicates, and the fact they entered play 12th in the league in net rating, per NBA.com, supports that notion.

Tuesday's game against a short-handed Heat squad was a golden opportunity to continue their recent momentum and further prove the slow start was an anomaly, but that chance went to waste right out of the gates.

Indiana struggled on both ends of the floor during an abysmal first half. It had no answer for Robinson on the outside while on defense and then forced the issue with a number of contested looks on offense. Justin Holiday in particular couldn't find his stroke from deep, and Miami made life difficult on Domantas Sabonis by sending double-teams his way on the blocks.

Caris LeVert beats the shot clock 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2vBldEkDsc

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 22, 2021

Arvydas Sabonis pulled up to watch his son, Domantas 🤩 pic.twitter.com/QMPUAXMoPg

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 22, 2021

Duarte provided a scoring spark off the bench as the lone bright spot during the first half, but it was nowhere near enough to remain within realistic striking distance.

Things got worse for the Pacers when Malcolm Brogdon was ruled out with a sore right Achilles, which did nothing to help their poor defensive effort as Miami continued to keep them at bay. Those defensive concerns were even more poignant when Caris LeVert hitting multiple threes and Duarte continuing to play well did nothing to meaningfully cut into the deficit.

Unfortunately for Indiana, this was another missed chance against a short-handed team.

It also lost to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday even though the reigning champions were missing Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. If the Pacers don't make a run and get back into the playoff picture, they will surely look back on some of these losses against opponents missing their best players.                  

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What's Next?

Both teams are home Thursday when the Heat host the Pistons and the Pacers face the Houston Rockets.

All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis is reportedly seeking a "change of scenery" after four-plus seasons as a member of the Indiana Pacers.

Matt Moore of the Action Network reported Wednesday that Sabonis "wants out" and could be the cornerstone of a blockbuster deal to shake up the Pacers' roster.

"That would assume these problems are isolated to this season; they've needed a change and known it for some time," an NBA source told Moore about the idea of Indiana trying to weather the storm amid a 12-18 start.

While the idea of trading Sabonis has been floating around in recent weeks, the move was mostly linked to a full-scale rebuild for Indiana—the first major deal in a sequence that would tear down its entire roster as part of a long-term project.

Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz of The Athletic reported last week the team was "moving toward a substantial rebuild" with Sabonis, Myles Turner and Caris LeVert as its main trade assets.

Pacers governor Herb Simon downplayed that line of thinking on Wednesday.

Simon told a small group of reporters, including the Fieldhouse Files' Scott Agness, the idea they are heading toward a major rebuild is "not correct," and he strongly denied any plans to engage in what amounted to tanking to secure a series of high draft picks:

We are not a franchise that is going to dump to get a better pick. We're going to try to win every game. Sometimes we'll develop rookie players, which may cost us a game, but we're never gonna to go into a game to lose while I'm an owner. I don't believe in it. Some teams do, but I don't believe in that.

If you remember, going back to Donnie Walsh, we always built without tearing down. We built on the go. We can do the same thing. We can have a good team and get better rather than break it up to get better. As a fan, I don't want to do that. And I don't believe our fans deserve to see a team that's purposely losing. I don't ever want to be accused of that.

The problem is getting caught in the middle—too good to land a top-three draft pick but not good enough to seriously contend for a championship—is often the worst place to land in sports. Completing a successful rebuild without bottoming out for at least a short time is difficult, barring a few massive free-agent signings.

Moving Sabonis is the type of move that could bring the Pacers a large haul of future picks to help jump-start a rebuild.

The 25-year-old Gonzaga product is averaging 18.5 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 59.1 percent from this field across 30 games this season. He's tied for ninth among all NBA players in WAR, per FiveThirtyEight.

Now also represents a perfect time to trade him since he's still got two-plus seasons left on his four-year, $74.9 million contract, which runs through 2023-24. It would allow Indiana to demand a larger return than if he was an impending free agent at season's end.

Keeping Sabonis and using him as one of the key foundational pieces for the future is a more preferred path, of course. It sounds like he'd rather get a fresh start elsewhere, though.

Ultimately, the Pacers will probably wait until closer to the Feb. 10 trade deadline to see if they can recover from their slow start before starting any type of sell off, but it appears change is on the horizon.