Indiana Pacers trade deadline day! Big questions, what to watch for, trade likelihood rankings

Indiana Pacers trade deadline day! Big questions, what to watch for, trade likelihood rankings

It’s Thursday it’s trade deadline day you already know what we’re talking about today some more big questions and story lines for the Pacers to monitor today ranking the Pacers from least to most likely to be traded Derek Kramer from my Pacers blog will join us to do

It all on today’s locked on Pacers podcast you are locked on Pacers your daily Indiana Pacers podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day happy Thursday y’all and welcome into another edition of the lockdown Pacers podcast where we of course talk about the Indiana Pacers as always my name’s

Tony East I cover the team for Forbes and Si and today you know what it is it’s Thursday February 8th it’s trade deadline day the trade deadlines at 300 p.m. Eastern this will be dated pretty quick but hopefully a lot of of you can

Listen to it in time we have a lot to get to today previewing the action including some burning questions that have not really been talked about ahead of the Pacers trade deadline and ranking every player on the roster from my and my guest’s opinion of least likely to

Most likely to be traded you will never guess the top answer for both of our least likely to be traded and I mean that sincerely you will never guess it Derek karber from my Pacers blog is our guest today a very big friend of the Pod

He was supposed to be the guest today anyway but then he offered his services to talk about the SE yakum trade so he gets two shows in two weeks very rare but I love talking to Derek it was a great time let’s just get right to it talk and Pacers trade deadline on

Deadline day deadline day is here trade deadline 3 pm Eastern Time some Wednesday trades all kind of small Xavier tman Simone fono Monte Morris not the big fireworks those already happened this season but it’s deadline day Pacers have stuff to consider we have lots to talk about some of which I’ve already

Talked about some of which I haven’t here to join me the person I thought you’d be hearing for the first time in months today but invited himself to talk about the Pascal cakam trade so why not come back for more trades it’s Derek Kramer from my Pacers blog you know him

Well Derek are you happy the deadline’s almost over like Rick Carlile like me are you sad what do you want out of Thursday I honestly it snuck up on me because uh I’m not expecting a whole lot of uh big movements like oh the eighth

Is tomorrow uh when you ask to do I was like what are we talking about I was like oh duh the deadline yeah so unfortunately no I’m yeah it’s it’s always a fun day we’ll see what happens see how many second round picks get swung around like previous last previous

Years I think that will be the the story of the year is there’s going to be a lot of factors at the same time this is only sort of Pac related but I just want to say it as a CBA nerd between the plan Tournament being a thing so only like

Five or six teams are truly eliminated 11 teams own three three quarters of the first round picks for the next couple years the second apron is coming so teams are going to need to move their money around there’s not like a lot of Sellers and there’s not a lot of buyers

Who have stuff to buy so it’s there’s so many factors pressuring to just be like it’s really hard to figure out moves that makes sense for everybody that desp just outside of like veteran for veteran stuff or like moving around little stuff so it’s just an odd market right that’s

Why Simone funo for a good was like oh that might be a significant trade this year even though it was the Pistons and Jazz yeah when uh when Alby from White Lotus is the the big move then that’s a yeah that’s a sign Xavier tman for uh Lamar Stevens in two

Seconds happened a day before because the Celtics really wanted it you know it’s gonna be a strange deadline so we’ve talked ad nauseum unlocked on P about buy heeld about jayen Smith about Obie toppen about the front Court logic we’ll talk touch on some of that stuff

Today Derek I’m going to ask you three questions related to the Pacers that I think could be formative for their trade deadline and then at the end we’re going to rank every player on the Pacers roster from least likely to get traded to most likely and I think nobody is

Going to predict my number one answer uh are you ready for the first question no but yeah go for it the first question is actually a question the Pacers might have to think about now for the rest of the season that could be formative to their trade deadline plans

Do you think that they can now get to the five seed after Joel embiid’s injury and with that in mind and having a potentially easier winnable first round opponent does that make you feel better if you are the Pacers at going for it as of me talking to you and asking this

Question the Sixers just lost the Warriors at home for their third straight loss the Pacers are now two games at a fifth I think they can absolutely have a shot at uh getting into to that fifth slot um Sixers are obviously sliding don’t know how long embiid’s going to be

Out um yeah I think that’s possible uh with the way things are kind of shaking out you kind of wonder if that six spot is still like the better of the options depending on the matchup so I don’t I don’t know if that makes uh it would

Make me want to like push in any more chips right now just to kind of try to move up in the standings this year um but certainly possible that they could keep moving moving right up yeah the the thing about five is and this is different now because of the

Reason they can get five is for a long time this season the thought was well if you get five you avoid Milwaukee Philly Boston in the first round but now Milwaukee is five and it’s the Cavs and Knicks who are on fire that have climbed

Into two three and four into that mix so your opponent could still be tough but you know obviously if you get to five you feel better the the the philosophical reason for that question is like that because that is now attainable right I I and you and a lot

Of people have talked about you know the key of holding on to sixth right tracking the heat tracking the magic getting in avoid the plan tournament well if there’s a second available playoff seed that is not a playin seed I think that and and you think you can get

It like two games is not that much Pacers have the Sixers tiebreaker they already clinched it and they don’t look as good without embiid obviously like that could in theory change your thinking a little bit or at least you feel a little more willing to be risky

If you feel like yeah we’ve got a better shot at the playoffs than I thought even if I personally would not pick the Pacers as favorites against any of the teams with a better record than them in the Easter right now if you can get to

If you think you have a shot at five or a better shot at the postseason that might change my thinking a little tiny bit yeah and it’s a good point just putting yourself in every position to avoid the playin is probably the number one priority for the Pacers right now um

Yeah and if you want to make sure you get that playoff experience this year and give give yourself some shots once you get in there maybe they’ll play the Bucks and the 54 they have handled Milwaukee all season so you know at least they’d feel good about their

Chances I’d pick the Bucs in that series to be clear but I have no reason to do so besides just I’ve seen yison a championship so it’s interesting the East has totally changed where there’s the Pacers are four and a half behind the four- seated Knicks right so that

Seems unattainable the Knicks are on fire but they’re also you know well ahead of four and a half ahead of the nine- seated Bulls so trying to be the top of that 5678 tier is valuable and now five is a part of that tier instead of the tier above them that is question

One that I think is relevant for the Pacers beyond the stuff that’s very very obvious and we’ll get to that stuff in a second question two for you Mr Kramer pretending that this is is a requirement for the Pacers at some point this season how confident are you that Ben Shepard

And or jarus Walker can contribute to winning this season in meaningful games uh I think my hesitancy probably answers the question you did answer the question I like I I like both of these guys a lot I like I’m trying to like imagine a scenario like how many guys

They would have to trade for them to like reasonably be expected to play in the playoffs if everybody’s healthy even if even before I’m getting to whether I’m confident if how well they’re gonna play in those scenarios like Ben she last night and the only guy out was Ben

Maen right like they’re technically one trade away from him being in the rotation but that’s the regular season rotation not the play right that’s that’s what like sure he was one guy away from being in a 10-man rotation but how many guys is he gonna be away from

Being in an eight or nine in a playoff situation where they’re tiing the rotation as small as possible um so that’s I like both these guys I think Shephard’s um like I was looking just curious like his obviously known as a shooter but he struggled um this season

Like but he also kind of did that at Belmont like he started as a 28% his freshman year and like steadily worked his way up so maybe it’s just going to take him some time offensively to find that that rhythm with his shooting and maybe we’ll see that same kind of

Progression in the NBA um really like his defense is awesome he like seems to have really like brought the same kind of energy that you see McConnell and N Smith bring um but as being like conf this guy can give you like 15 to 20 minutes or something no jarus just not

Ready on the defensive end like can’t believe that I’m like way more confident in his offensive game after what from what I was expecting I watched him play for the bad a couple hours ago his handle looks good like he he was between the legs dribbling into alley oops and

His defense still had some gambles but it’s like man I didn’t I didn’t see that coming at all yeah his like his offensive game like his feel for the game and like he looks way more like a wing than a center y like I thought it

Was more likely that he would be like a 45 than a 34 so like great signs for their development but yeah I’m not counting on them this year at all are you the kind of driver that likes to push things a little further ever wonder what Adventure could be

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Nissanusa.com the reason I mean I think it’s obvious why I’m asking this question but like they’d have to sell two guys for that to matter and it it’s possible that they could consider this like we’ve discussed a bunch you know Obi toppen and Buddy heeld both on expiring like if you trade

Both for non production coming back you know which is like not unreasonable if you get good pick value or whatever like what he healed for Marcus Morris in a late first or something you know just because the Sixers are importantly interested in him I don’t the Pacers

Should not do maybe they should do that whatever I don’t want to talk about that specifically if you do that and then Obie for some other non-contributing thing this season it’s like you’re one injury away from that being a requirement right like that is scary there is value to doing what the Boston

Celtics just did they traded for Xavier Tillman who probably in the playoff won’t play but if Al Horford Chris ABS porzingis get hurt or limited you’re you feel good about Xavier tman playing right like he’s done it he’s played in the postseason before so that there is

Value to that and I I agree with you I don’t know that I would trust either jerus or Shepard in a postseason setting if I’m the Pacers and so I think they can the Pacers can feel okay you know thinking about selling air quotes for long-term assets with their expiring but

They have to be getting a contributor back maybe they can be like yeah we’ll get it at the bout Market but that’s risky you never know so they can’t just full on be like picks and we feel great young players we feel great I think that

If you get the right value sure do it but you know they’re not totally in a position to just all of our expiring is out the door we feel good about that so I think that is question two that I think is relevant heading into the day

Yeah I think uh and a big thing like you think about what you’re telling the the rest of the locker room yeah in that moment like if you’re sending out guys and not getting anything that’s going to help you this season like you’re only getting draft picks and guys that are

Going to sit on the end of the bench like that’s not g to sit well with guys in the locker room like when the they know these guys have helped them all year and now you’re just like sending them off for for nothing that’s going to help them get make their goals happen

This year yep agreed we will see where that heads but I think those first two questions I came up with while watching the Sixers get their butts whooped by the pitchers opponent tonight the Golden State Wars number three is related to something that’s happened in the last

Two days um and I don’t know if this there’s even a good answer to this question or if I’m just totally overthinking this look the the guy that has been talked about the most for the Pacers this trade season and will be talked about tomorrow is budy healed for

Obvious reasons for the same reason Miles Turner was talked about a bunch last year unrestricted free agency the team has no power they lose the second 301 comes on Thursday the Pacers do not have power to keep buddy heeld they can offer him extension and hope he signs it

But buddy heeld has to be the final decider right and so we can talk about that if we want that’s been talked about a lot what has happened in the last two days the Pacers beat the Rockets James boy asks Tyrese halber about Buddy held who’s plus 11 and played a wonderful

Game you know five for seven from the field some nice assists some better defense and Tyrese halber said I’m glad you asked about Buddy heeld and then talked a lot about all these positive things buddy heeld provides the even when his shots not falling and I you

Know they’re close but gushed about him today at practice TJ McConnell very similar vein talking about the Pacers second unit in Buddy heeld goes you know this was part of the question so it’s a little more natural but again goes out of his way to praise buddy heal the

Unique things he provides the Pacers maybe it’s just the context of the week that we are existing in living in where the trade deadline is for you listening to this right now sometime in the future for me talking in 16 hours does it feel like does it mean

Anything to you that you’ve heard two players kind of go to bat for Buddy heel this week because I think the team clearly valued him the whole time they always played him they always trusted him to shoot it’s like their actions always suggested they believed in buddy

Heeld but now they’re really kind of stepping up if if maybe I’m overthinking that but I thought that was kind of noteworthy that happened in backtack days yeah I think I was going to bring this up at some point if you didn’t like the those both both of those statement

Stood out to me over the last couple days um just like and it speaks to what I mentioned before like the locker rooms not gonna love if Buddy’s just sent out for a draft pick right like and nothing that’s goingon to help them um they clearly value what he does on the court

Even when he’s not making shots and he’s still adding the gravity um on offense and making things easier for other people um sure he’s not shot the ball as well this year but yeah I think that that did stick out to me and like those statements don’t sound like a a team

That’s I mean obviously they’re not the ones making the decision they don’t make the decisions around here as Larry Bird would say but uh yeah I don’t it didn’t feel like oh yeah they know that buddy might be gone in a couple days like there definitely doesn’t feel like

That’s the mood around as Bobby marks who’s run a team and majri said on the show last week and just said it too what are you pitching to your locker room if you trade buddy heeld for like that fake package I said earlier it’s just obvious because of the matching Cellar it’s

Marcus Morris in a pick right Marcus Morris isn’t helping you this year he’s bar he’s not helping the Sixers this year right so like if you trade budy heeld for some asset and a player who can like play this year you could at least you could sell that it’s still

Probably not gonna go great but at least that you can explain but just straight up selling him for the best pick possible I think the person perspective on that has been made clear from the team this week and maybe some lesser contributors are non-players at all you could make different Arguments for that

But someone who who’s playing even if it’s a much smaller role I don’t think you know I think I maybe I’m overthinking it because they were literally asked about Buddy heeld so they’re going to talk about buddy heeld but the tone and way that they went about those answers was meaningful and I

Don’t want it to sound like I’m just using the word tone to make a point like if you listen back tyus Halbert literally said I’m glad you asked about Buddy heeld like in his answer right like he something about but heeld on his mind he wanted to talk about I found

That all to be no worthy yeah I agree I think both guys were like obviously Tyrese said the words and like I think they’re both happy to like give a positive outlook on Hee who’s had some just like overall people unhappy with how he’s performed lately and I’m sure

They’ve all heard about those things agreed and now we do the fun part I do this in the offseason sometimes I do any trade headlines sometimes we’re going to rank all 15 players well that’s not right we’re going to rank all the players on the Pacers roster from least

Likely to be traded on February 8th I guess it could be the seventh we have an hour and four minutes left to most likely to be traded between right this second and February 8th can I go first because I guarantee nobody knows who the right answer

Is so you’re going with the least likely first is that what you said least likely pce for right now to be tra tomorrow yes go ahead give your your nerdy answer that’s not the real one go ahead not Tyrese halberton everybody it’s not even Pascal seago it’s not

Miles Turner it’s not eron Smith it’s James Johnson why because his contract expires at midnight he will not be on the team on February 8th I presume they would like to resign him the second the trade deadline is over but he can’t be traded because he’s not on the team

James Johnson is definitely the least likely Pacer to be traded yes I ruined your surprise you would have got me uh but I I asked texted it to me I was like dang it Derek I had it coming I was like oh yeah like because

He Tony asked me to do this and like I’m ranking the guys like oh James Johnson like where’re even with like if he was on a contract like ranking him like he’s not they’re not just gonna throw him in a deal so I’m not like so he was still

Like very high up there like oh yeah he’s still on a 10day so that’s not going to happen anyway and then it’s not even going to be on a contract at all TR gats in a 10day anyway so I’m not sure I went out by would to be like he’s off

The team that is my way of including to listeners to let you know that the Pacers will only have 13 players on their active roster for trade deadline day so they can make a one for three trade how about that that’s a pretty rare

One so is there a limit on a like you sign a guy at a veteran minimum how long until you can trade that guy any that’s like any other signing the 60 days gotcha so yeah so he’s not going anywhere um who got someone got traded today that that that mattered with hang

On um Stevens who who did Monte Mars get traded for on the Timberwolves no that wasn’t it um I can’t remember who it was Kevin Kevin Knox and uh Kevin Knox Kevin Knox got signed after the season started he got traded today the Pistons have now

Traded Kevin Knox twice in a year and a half for some reason that’s funny okay I also can’t wait for the trivia fact of James Johnson signing like six guaranteed contracts with the Pacers in like 15 months or something like that he re ups with that for the rest of the

Season okay we don’t we can just gloss over this I guess and just say it um my next four in order were halberton cakam n Smith Turner uh n Smith and Turner are interchangeable but n Smith contract is poison pill because he signs an extension so it’s just like structurally

Harder to trade even though I think himim and Turner are equally unlikely to be traded I don’t think you have any disagreements with that I don’t same order I had Turner before neith but like I kind of had him in tears like basically basically well Untouchable tyres aler and basically Untouchable

Seum and then Turner Turner and N Smith that’s not worth talking about but whoa what basically that’s the well you here Dereck wants to trade pass gakin one more break here y’all we got to talk about the lovely folks over at prize pick the daily fantasy sports platform taking over the world it’s

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Easy my next three I would say or four actually I accidentally deleted someone else’s name whoops my next four I would say I would be pretty dang surprised if they were traded today three of them fall in one bucket and one is a totally different kind of player three of them I’ll just

Do first is in order for me Benedict maen jarus Walker and Drew Mard are my next three those are my next three as well I put those as uh my category for those guys were uh top level Prospect I had NIMH hard Ma and Walker was my order for this interesting

I just think the rookies scale contract is more valuable which is why I went with the lottery picks but nard has a lot of value too I just put nard because Rick loves him the most yeah and he’s starting for a good team like that matter yeah and and I think that they

May like inadvertently they made the they showed their hand with those guys in the sakam trade they kept all of them right like they clearly like them and value them and would only trade them for like an awesome player which is you know valuable to know and unless something

Crazy happens tomorrow I don’t see that being the case my next one is kind of in a tier of his own although I think the next two guys could kind of be in a tier together of like I guess there are ways that it makes sense to me although I’d

Consider unlikely and that is in order T.J McConnell Ben Shepard is that your next tier as well um well I decided to make teers and then they didn’t quite match I originally had uh TJ with Ben Shepard but then I was like oh I can do lower level prospects

Next and I had Ben Shepard and Isaiah Jackson oh oh oh interesting okay yeah I don’t have Isaiah Jackson where you do then our first disagreement our first disagreement Isaiah Jackson’s in my bottom four he was almost there so well this is what we’re talking about though

Because the only reason I did that like Shephard to me is interesting because it’s like I don’t think they want to trade Ben Shepard but like if he is like a Tipping Point to get an awesome pick or like upgrade from heel or topping or whatever you think about it especially

Considering the size of the upgrade even though I think he’s probably already outperformed his drap position and is like this could be a three Indie Wing like you never know you don’t want to just give that up but there are trades that it could make sense um I had Isaiah

Jackson below both of them because of the front Court log gy right like he’s not playing when they’re fully healthy right now and there’s they have full bird rights on Jaylen Smith restricted for agency with topin they have jerus Walker like there’s a a very reasonable path to Isaiah Jackson not being in

Their rotation next year either right so I think if someone gives you value for him that you like you have to think about it just because that stuff might have more value to their team than Isaiah Jackson does even though I don’t think they’re G to be like let’s find a

Suor for this guy I think that him getting traded is more likely than either Shephard or McConnell even though again I don’t think anyone getting traded is particularly likely on this team I do agree uh I had Jackson like I ranked him more likely than Shephard the

Only reason I had Jackson there is just because of Jaylen Smith’s contract situation yeah yep they still have him for another year as like a guy that you’re confident can play some back up Center minutes yes so do you have Smith third most likely Jackson forish if you had to

Choose or um yeah well I have Smith a little bit higher than you we’re we have some little disagreements on our top end I think okay I have Jaylen Smith third most likely just because of the unrestricted aspect of him I meant two two second most likely yeah wow that is

Not I guess that shouldn’t be so crazy to me so yeah player option next year that this is wild like I was talking to Jimmy Cook about this because we did our word of the odds show in the summer and I said there’s probably like a 70%

Chance he’s opting into that now I’d say the opposite probably more strongly like he’s been wonderful and like if jock L I know I know Jo contract is like a gimmicky trade thing but ja L got8 million to be the Rockets backup center like guys that Jaylen Smith is better

Than got much more than 5.4 Million last year and he’s young enough that like if someone can say Hey you a young team could say hey you’re gonna start if the wizard say Jaylen if if Daniel Gafford gets traded tomorrow and the Wizards offer him a decent chunk of the mid-

Level say you’re gonna start like that could be appealing I don’t he’s from Maryland I’m just making stuff up but like there are other factors that could make sense for him so the odds of him opting out are increased and there’s the front Court Log Jam again I’m not saying

That they’re going to be like calling other teams being like give us your best jayen Smith offer but there’s clearly logic to it I think yeah so you had ixs four and then Jaylen three Yes mine were so I had Shep and Jackson and kind of like a separated tier but lower level

Prospect and then I had the expiring vets I have TJ at four buddy at three and Buddy’s at three for me just because of those comments that we talked I have those other guys higher as more likely just because that mood around the team doesn’t it just doesn’t feel like

That’s what they’re looking yeah McConnell has changed for me like in the last two days not because of Any well I guess Rick Carlile did say it because he said part of the appeal of starting injured nard beyond that I I all along thought the best starting five for the

Pacers post trade was starting nard anyway but he said part of the appeal of doing this is we have an obvious role for TJ McConnell and he’s been really good in the last two games in that backup starting or backup starting backup lead ball handler role so he

Becomes more valuable to the pisses immediately right and that doesn’t mean you can’t look to trade him and he might not even be an expiring contract next year but you know a lot of te that’s true I I keep forgetting about his weird contract it’s funky because guaranteed right yeah it’s

Partially guaranteed and it’s over half guaranteed so it’s funny because on one hand you could say the question is you’d only save 4 point 3 million by waving him and he’s worth more than 4.3 million so on one hand you’d say well you would

Never do it but if you wave him and then stretch that cat pit all of a sudden you could FIP like seven eight million and that maybe someone does value that so it’s not like a guarantee it’ll be picked up but he gets the money in that

Case so he would be fine with it um so yeah that’s a good point maybe I had him too high but I think that the fact that they are happy that they can find him minutes and he’s not expiring and if they trade him they’d have to get

Another point guard like they they would need a third point guard on their team that they don’t currently have made me have him lower than you but I get I guess I get it I mean any any anyone over 30 I guess not anymore poaka but anyone over 30 like their rotation still

Over half inexperienced guys you could think about moving I suppose yeah I think like none of these guys feel overly likely to be dealt but and like the but the bottom three to four like fairly similar I don’t think there’s a huge difference and like Hood either my top two it’s

Funny that they’re not the same as your top two were Obi toppen and Buddy heeld uh we’ve gone through the reasons everybody has for the last couple months toppen is in a crowded front court is playing the same position as jarus Walker yes he has restricted free agency

Coming up but like what kind of deal are you trying to resign Obi toin to if you’re the Pacers right because if you have him and seum what then what’s your plan for jarus Walker or your backup fives who’ve been promising and that’s not to say Obi toppin done anything wrong but they

Traded for Pas kakum like that changes your thinking about a player even if toen played well so I would I wonder what they’re thinking with him they have his restricted rights but so maybe like a sign in trade or he could just pick up the qualifying offer and then it’s

Harder to trade him like you have the power now and I would think I would think about it definitely as the PAC but he’s he’s fine he’d probably be in their original playoff rotation and he helps them win games this regular like I was actually thinking about this too when I

Was thinking about what an Obi to and trade would mean for the Pacers how many less fewer that was bad English how many fewer wins do you think the Pacers would have this season if jarus Walker had all of OB toin spes this year four or

Five may maybe like I like I always had some games where like he won the Pacers some games let’s let’s do it ready at Philly inseason tournament 27 and six plays back up five the whole fourth quarter plus 13 and a Sixpoint win I mean maybe jarus plays phenomenally in

All these games I’m about to name but like they probably lose right the other one Atlanta inseason Tournament game 18 points seven rebounds four assist doesn’t miss a shot fantastic uh in Miami that game they kicked butt without halberton 20 points on seven for eight played some backup center plus 18 and a

15-point win awesome defense against Jimmy Butler awesome defense awesome defense against the Suns game that just happened right he was amazing in that game again maybe jarist is awesome in these games and I’m overhyping this he was plus seven to a twoo win by the way in that Suns game

You know like that that’s just his best four games I would say um not thinking about oh he had another he had another big game against the Heat also that’s funny but they lost that one so let’s just say four it’s a big deal they’d be

Under 500 right so like on one yes it would be under 500 I had to check my math in my head so on one hand i’m I’m partial to like thinking long term there on a guy that is in a crowded spot and you don’t know his future on the other

Hand it’s like he’s been important to you even in a ventrol so I I don’t know maybe I I I I had a lot of trouble with him even though I think that if they traded him I would totally understand why they did it he was my most my most

Likely my number one and then I had Jaylen Smith at two um it’s mostly just and like I said I don’t see I’m not like overly expecting any body to get dealt tomorrow or today um but like just because they traded for Pascal already because of his impending restricted free agency next

Year like may like he’s kind of already upped his value with the Pacers already so maybe he if he can get a bigger role bigger opportunity but he seems happy with the Pacers and likes this locker room likes this organization so like it’s it’s hard to

See any of these guys go like they they all like each other everybody seems to be happy to be here uh you know buddy obviously not getting offered the money that he wants if the whatever it might be but everybody’s like I don’t know it’s it’s hard to nobody’s begging to

Get out the door or anything it’s funny about that because you know let just pretend that you know buddy and the Pacers were far apart before the season right which is a thing that was reported and the Pacers didn’t confirm it but they you know they said yeah we we talked about it

Now they probably wouldn’t offer that much right like he hasn’t played as well this year and his role smaller so maybe they’d be farther apart I don’t know um yeah I think that all makes sense toppin is just very interesting to me because and like a lot of guys that they’ve been

Connected to this week he’s a salary match with I don’t I don’t know maybe I’m overthinking everything so they yeah the only guy we haven’t talked about bu he’s my top guy I think it’s interesting you have him third just because he is their UNR restricted free agent and I

Think that his salary slot is now a consideration in a way that it wasn’t when they could have had cap space paths and so if you can find a way to kick the salary slot down the road as an over the cap team you would be happy to

Do it because then you’re putting a lot of pressure on yourself when the when the ball’s out of your court to extend him sign and trade him um I had another one that or just resign him as an unrestricted free agent maybe you can pull that off right clearly his

Teammates like him so maybe they could convince him to stay but the ball being out of your court is scary when that salary slot is important to your team building going forward and so that’s why I have him first but I get what you’re saying especially with what people have

Said this week which we already talked about yeah like the I I could see it too like the you make a big splash like he’s the easiest contract to help you get there of the guys that you probably might not be in your long-term plans um

So you know if they make a giant offer for Bridges and for some reason the Nets decide to go that route which I don’t see them doing then yeah I don’t either I’d have to look at the cap space teams next year too like maybe nobody can even

Do that and so a sign and trade becomes more likely just from a who could even acquire body heal perspective like tell me the Pistons wouldn’t want a good shooter the Orlando Magic need shooting so bad like there’s that’s already got two like you know it’s not that hard

When you’re a good shooter to think about it even if his shooting is worse that it’s been in a recent season okay are you prepare are you prepared do you feel ready for uh the deadline are you uh did we miss something important I’m always ready to stare at my phone

Waiting for notifications your poor I I guess people don’t know your job am I allowed to reveal your job you’re a poor students who have to see you at your desk panicking every time your phone goes off all day fortunately uh Thursdays are a little bit easier for me

To pay more attention to my phone because I don’t have as uh my in-person I do some virtual stuff with my school as well so Thursdays are mainly I do some data stuff and I do some virtual making sure they’re on the right track so I’m not um ignoring neglecting my

Young pupils in my classroom to stare at my phone Mr Kramer why do we always have a movie day in early February over you it’s okay I love the movie days I think they’d be psyched about that and you could also move around it better yes of

Course okay so here’s the plan tentative plan for lock on Pacers tomorrow 315 is when it feels pretty clear that everything’s either been settled or reported we’ll try to do something quick on the Pacers did or did not do um but maybe depending on how stuff goes if

They do a pregame press conference I’ll do it after all that talk about the deadline then they’ll play The Warriors at night I’ll do a show partially on the Warriors partially with more deadline thoughts and then depending on what does or does not happen more into the weekend

Crossover stuff with new player as it goes it’s going to be it’s a hectic day when they have a home game and the deadline on the same day yes you have a busy busy job lots of work for you to do can’t wait for you to talk about when they acquire Den Denny

Adia and you uh you gotta start discussing it is it do you predict a carousel situation uh this is just funny to imagine if anybody who remembers Caris LeVert they were in Cleveland playing the Cavs and they traded Levert to Cleveland for Rubio and pixs that worked

Out great for the Pacers um and Levert funnily enough those that is probably I think in the whole NBA the arena where the locker rooms are the farthest apart so Levert had to walk pretty far but still all he to do is walk down the hall

To get to his locker room which had be hilarious like if you’re on the the Cavs do you think there was a player who didn’t know and I was like what the heck is he doing in here or did they you know yeah that’s really I can’t remember

Like what the timing of everything was yeah was he like warming out that game too yeah oh yeah that’s he’s warming up getting ready and just like just switches the shirt you’re playing for them yeah we’re doing the physical right now come here the semipro situation Warriors tomorrow uh Steph

Curry switching switching Locker that’s that’s what I predict yes not kaminga or any of those more like even slimmest of chances it’s Steph he’s the one it’s Steph baby that’s another problem for me personally beyond having to do my job tomorrow Steph is one of

Two players in the NBA that I like ruin my pregame routine to watch him warm up and I don’t know if I’ll be able to do that because of the trade deadline dang it NBA poor poor Tony someone call the wambulance I’m in desperate need of this

I assume you will have lots of coverage on the trade deadline with the Pacers did did not do their new players if they have any if you do where can people listening find it Derek yes you can find uh my content on I pacers.com you can uh

Be my third follower on Tik Tok with my four videos Vlog I’m I’m just rolling in the views and the followers got whole two um so I don’t even remember what my username is if it’s actually I Pacers blog or if it’s I pacers.com whatever I I don’t need followers there

It’s all good you’re older than me you’re not allowed to have Tik Tok I got it for never mind I don’t need to talk about I’ll see you in person at some point we can hash that out uh yeah we’ll see what the schedule’s tomorrow but expect two shows because I still would

Like to talk about the Warriors game even though I’m aware that everybody would more interested in the trade uh lots to come here and I’ll be writing about everything that does or does not happen and what that means for the Pacers going forward Derek this was

Great we have reached the end of the guessing what happens version of this and now we can talk about what did or did not happen which I personally am thrilled about tomorrow lots of coming I’m on Twitter at Tony R East this show is at lockon Pacers tell then everybody we’ll see you

Soon

The 2024 NBA Trade Deadline is today. What are the Indiana Pacers going to do? Host Tony East is joined by Derek Kramer from iPacersblog to break it down by answering three key questions and ranking the trade likelihood of each player on the Pacers roster.

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