The Pacers are seemingly imploding right before our very eyes and, while fans of the organization may not be all too enthusiastic, the Boston Celtics should be quite interested in the current situation happening out in Indianapolis.
Recently, The Athletic’s Shams Charania published a piece discussing the dilemma within the Pacers’ organization (subscription required), stating that the front office appears to be ‘moving towards a rebuild.’
As currently constructed, Indiana has quite a number of players in tow that could and likely will be viewed as quality trade chips on the market should these rumblings in fact be true and, with this, we at HH believe the Cs should look to gauge the availability of 3 specific talents:
Boston Celtics target No. 1) Justin Holiday
The Boston Celtics could certainly use for a few more solid assets to have join the likes of Dennis Schroder in the second unit, and a player we think could be of some interest for Brad Stevens and co. is veteran wing, Justin Holiday.
Currently in his ninth year in the association, the 32-year-old is serving as a major part of Indiana’s rotation, logging 28.1 minutes a night (fifth-most on the team) where he’s finding himself posting solid averages of 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on 37 percent shooting from deep.
While he may not be a star by any stretch of the word, Holiday is a quality 3-and-D asset who can provide some consistent floor spacing (holds a 37 percent long-range conversion percentage since 2018) and energy on the less glamorous side of the ball, all while having a contract that fits soundly into Tristan Thompson’s $9.7 million TPE, thus allowing Boston to keep their more luxurious one (i.e. the Evan Fournier TPE) untouched and ready to be used elsewhere.
Boston Celtics target No. 2) Jeremy Lamb
Again, we find ourselves suggesting the Boston Celtics should consider going after a player they could have come aboard and slot right into their bench unit in Jeremy Lamb. However, unlike Holiday, Lamb has a bit more upside and, frankly, likely would be a much more impactful acquisition due to his specific talent level/ skill set.
Throughout his 10-year NBA tenure, the wing has managed to make a name for himself as a solid offensive contributor predominantly off the pine. Since 2018, Lamb holds per-game averages of 12.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, two assists, and a steal on 45 percent shooting from the floor and 36 percent shooting from deep.
Now, at age 29, the small forward continues to find himself producing at quite a consistent rate despite logging his lowest MPG average (13.9) since 2014-15.
Per 75 possessions, Lamb is boasting impressive averages of 19.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on just shy of 40 percent shooting from downtown.
On top of all this, of those who have logged north of 200 minutes on the year, the veteran currently ranks third on the team in defensive rating (108) and in overall box plus-minus (2.8) while also sporting the second-best long-range (40 percent) and the top effective field goal percentage (58.3) in catch-and-shoot attempts under these same metrics.
Boston Celtics target No. 3) Domantas Sabonis
For those who actually read Shams Charania’s report about the Indiana Pacers, you’re likely already aware that the biggest name that the front office could be open to trading is their current franchise cornerstone, Domantas Sabonis.
Arguably the best power forward in the league today, the 2x All-Star finds himself once again off to a hot start to his campaign.
Playing a position the Cs could stand to upgrade at in power forward, the sixth-year pro is currently sporting impressive averages of 17.8 points, 12 boards, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals on 57 percent shooting from the floor.
One of the best offensive-minded bigs in the game today, with a steadily improving defensive awareness, Sabonis has the makings of being a great fit next to the likes of both Jayson Tatum and, should they be able to keep him in any hypothetical deal, Jaylen Brown.
With this tantalizing trio, the Jays would patrol the perimeter and drive the lane whenever he desires (similar to how they operate now) while the big would man the interior and, with his specific bag of tricks, could either feast in the paint, step out and knock-down a mid to long-range jumper, or look to dish it out with his underrated passing skills (averaging 5.5 assists per night over the past three seasons).
Still only 25 years old and under contract through 2024, not only would Domantas Sabonis be a great piece to have for the Cs in the now, but also for the years to come as well.
Without a doubt, the Boston Celtics should look into the availability of the sixth-year pro and, even if Indiana asks for Jaylen Brown, Stevens should seriously consider dealing for him.