The Indiana Pacers made headlines this week by announcing a full-on rebuilding process. A team that many viewed as a fringe-playoff contender, or at least a play-in game contender, is now admitting to pressing the reset button. It was a surprise to much of the league, especially after the Pacers brought back head coach Rick Carlisle, in what many viewed as the man who may be able to elevate this current Pacers squad. In hindsight, this may be a smart move for Indiana, who always remains competitive, but have not advanced to an NBA Finals since 2000.
This announcement made waves across the league because Indiana does have some nice pieces. Players that contenders, or teams attempting to enter the upper-echelon of the league, may need in their respective pursuits for an NBA Championship. Naturally, when a team announces a fire-sale, individuals will look up and down their roster to see if any of the players available would be a good fit for their team.
The Atlanta Hawks are an asset-rich team and can virtually insert themselves into any trade conversation they want to. Now, if they should make a move is a fair question and there can be arguments made on both sides. Personally, I think the Hawks should stand pat and keep their roster as constructed, but again, Indiana does have some good players. Let’s delve into those prospects and rate their fit with Atlanta.
C-Myles Turner:
Turner is an interesting piece that I think would work very well in Atlanta. He is the stretch five that we need, but also has the rim-protecting ability that we already have in Clint Capela. Turner is leading the league in blocks per game at 2.8 [Capela is 13th in the league with 1.4bpg]. As a 6’ 11” big man, Turner is shooting a very respectable 39.7% from behind the arc. With the pick-and-roll action and vision of Trae Young, Turner could possibly become an even better player in Atlanta. The price tag probably means we would part with Capela. But, if we could have the same defensive presence at the center position, if not better, and a more polished offensive player, it would be hard to deny.
Fit in Atlanta: B+
PF-Domantas Sabonis:
Let me start off by saying that Sabonis is a great player and I am a fan of his game. Son of the great, Arvydas Sabonis, the younger-Sabonis has gotten better each year he has been in the league, and that has led him to appearing two NBA All-Star games. Nonetheless, this scenario is easy for me just because of what the Hawks already have. By that I mean, the Hawks already have John Collins. The price to bring in Sabonis would probably mean shipping off Collins which could be a disaster for the locker room, since the Hawks have become such a tight-knit group. Plus, I do not think bringing in Sabonis makes us that much better than keeping Collins. Even if Collins was not the asking price, both players play the same position. So, on paper and via the eye test, a deal for Sabonis does not make much sense.
Fit in Atlanta: C-
SG-Caris Levert:
First off, it is great to see Levert playing basketball again, after a scary offseason in which a trade physical [when he was traded from the Nets to Indiana] showed a mass on his kidney. So as a human being, it is great to see the young man playing the game he loves. Now as a player, Levert is another young talent that seems to get incrementally better year-over-year. My thing with Caris is if he has already reached his ceiling as an NBA professional. He had flashes of superstar potential with the Nets, and has thus far, been consistent with Indiana. Ultimately, it is almost the same situation as the Sabonis-Collins deal. The Hawks have Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kevin Huerter, and Cam Reddish, a prospect whom the Hawks are still very high on. To make a deal for Levert would mean a change in the pecking order or shipping off one of those guys. For that reason, I do not think Atlanta is a good fit for Levert.
Fit in Atlanta: D+
PG-Malcolm Brogdon:
The former-Norcross Blue Devil and Georgia native is putting together another nice season with the Pacers. Brogdon is averaging a healthy 20.3 points per game, 6.1 assists a game and 5.7 rebounds a game. He is and always has been a complete player and a stout defender. There are a couple things with Brogdon that I think hinders his fit in Atlanta. One, we already have a ball-dominant point guard and superstar player, with Young leading the helm. If Brogdon does not have the ball in his hands, his numbers, I think would fall off dramatically. At that point he would be an off-ball shooting guard comparable to Huerter or Bogdanovic. To me a Brogdon-Young back court would be a weird fit, but both guys are high-IQ basketball players. So, there is a part of me that thinks it could work, but ultimately, what we already have may be better.
Fit in Atlanta: C+
Is there anyone else from Indiana that you think the Hawks should look at? If so, drop their names and why. For what it is worth, I think the Hawks just need to get healthy and we will be alright.
