The Indiana Pacers are the worst team in basketball, just a year after making the NBA Finals. They were just two quarters away from winning their first-ever NBA title, even after Tyrese Haliburton went down with a devastating injury.
That injury has derailed them this season. Without Haliburton in the lineup this season, the Pacers have the second-worst offense in the league. Another big reason why they have been so bad is that they no longer have a viable starting center with Myles Turner in Milwaukee.
A bold trade idea from Bleacher Report has Indiana participate in a three-way trade to remedy that issue moving forward.
GettyDallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford drives the ball. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Pacers Add Center of the Future by Trading Young Forward
Here is the full trade proposal:
The Detroit Pistons receive: Bennedict Mathurin (from the Indiana Pacers), $919,590 trade exception (Jaden Ivey)
The Indiana Pacers receive: Daniel Gafford (from the Dallas Mavericks)
The Dallas Mavericks receive: Jaden Ivey, 2026 first-round pick (both from the Detroit Pistons), $4.3 million trade exception (Daniel Gafford)
Mathurin was denied a contract extension this offseason from Indiana, setting the stage for a make-or-break season from him. Injuries have kept him from fully realizing his potential in a starting role, but his offense has not taken the leap the Pacers were hoping for.
Trading him for Gafford would give the Pacers a center who protects the paint, rebounds, and can catch lobs from Haliburton. Indiana is likely getting a top-four pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, which is full of wings. Mathurin clearly isn’t going to be anything more than a sixth man for this team.
Detroit needs a wing who can score, and that’s what Mathurin does best. That’s why this trade would be attractive for them. For Dallas, they get a young guard and a first-round pick to help accelerate a rebuild around Cooper Flagg.
GettyIndiana Pacers center Bennedict Mathurin shoots the ball. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Pacers Must Trade for a Center at the Deadline
While the Pacers clearly are not going to make the playoffs this season, they need to be buyers at the trade deadline. Getting a new center heading into next season is a must. There aren’t many attractive free agents available this summer, so bringing someone in with a trade is the best way to go.
Even if they don’t end up bringing in Gafford, the Pacers have to get a new center. It is the biggest hole for them moving into next season, where they expect to be a title contender again with a fully healthy roster. That spot has been so bad that they started a game against the Heat without one and played their best game of the year.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see the Pacers move on from Mathurin in their pursuit of a center. He is the most viable trade piece that they have, along with Jarace Walker. Those two wings are guys the team might move on from.
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