The Indiana Pacers are in the process of their biggest tank job in franchise history. After injuries sapped any shot they had of making the playoffs early on, they turned to tanking. Injuries to Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin, and T.J. McConnell killed any shot of success.
Tyrese Haliburton has missed the entire year, as well. Indiana knew that was going to happen. What they didn’t know was that multiple other starters and key rotation players would go down. This is just the second time in recent memory in which they’ve engaged in tanking.
The other time was during the 2022-23 season. Buddy Hield was on that team, and he is not happy the Pacers took that route.
GettyIndiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield shoots the ball. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Buddy Hield Kills Pacers for Tanking During 2022-23 Season
In an interview with ESPN, Hield claims that tanking season prevented him from getting a lot of money in free agency or an extension with the franchise.
“It was an extension year. Then, when it comes to extension talks, it was like, ‘Oh, the numbers, X, Y, Z. Then, when it comes to extension talks, it was like, ‘Oh, the numbers, X, Y, Z.’ Me and Rick are still close, but that really rubbed me in the wrong way. Tanking just f—ed everything up for everybody.”
At the end of that season, the Pacers would draft Bennedict Mathurin sixth overall. That was the draft in which Victor Wembanyama went number one overall. He has already turned into an MVP candidate, so that is why Indiana tried to lose once Haliburton got hurt at the end of the year.
Mathurin was traded at the trade deadline in February to the Los Angeles Clippers. In exchange, the Pacers received Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown. Indian also sent Isaiah Jackson and two first-round picks, one of which is a 2026 pick that only goes to LA if it falls in the 5-9 range.
GettyIndiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton celebrates. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The Pacers Are Hoping to Never Tank Again After This Year
Indiana has never had the first overall pick in the NBA Draft. They are hoping to change that this summer. It’s one of the most loaded drafts at the top in the history of the league. Getting one of the top prospects could give Indiana a real shot at winning a championship next season.
The Pacers will have Haliburton back next year, and they will have Zubac for the entire year after acquiring him. After making the NBA Finals last season, Indiana had a bit of a struggle this season. Yet, they will have a lot of the same pieces that made it to the end next year.
Next season, Indiana will hope to avoid tanking. Honestly, they hope they never have to do that ever again. Hield is now with Golden State, so he won’t have to deal with tanking in the final few games. He will be playing in the play-in this year.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Buddy Hield Takes Pacers to Task for Tanking: ‘It f—ed up the Money’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.