It felt like a matter of time before the Pacers continued from Malcolm Brogdon, and it was Friday. Indiana sent Brogdon to the Boston Celtics and got five players: Nik Stauskas, Daniel Theis† Aaron Nesmith† Juwan Morgan and Malik Fitts — and in return a 2023 first-round pick. It also gives the Pacers enough cap space to sign a player with a maximum contract in free agency.
Here’s how experts say Indiana did it:
‘He really wants this’: Pacers all in on Tyrese Haliburton after trading Malcolm Brogdon
More: 3 things to know about the Pacers acquisition, Aaron Nesmith
Bleacher report: B+
Andy Bailey is the friendliest about the Pacers flight.
“If this is the best they could get, great. Waiting for the trade deadline could have helped, but it could also have backfired,” he wrote. “Given all the injuries Brogdon suffered in recent years, another 2022-23 could have deterred teams from recording firsts. In this case, Indiana can at least claim it has one, and Aaron Nesmith isn’t. not a bad prospect to take up a kite.”
More: 3 things to know about the Pacers acquisition, Daniel Theis
More: 3 things to know about the Pacers acquisition, Juwan Morgan
CBS Sports’ Michael Kaskey-Blomain called the Pacers’ move a “cautious” move ahead.
“The pick probably won’t be too high as the Celtics project will be very good again next season, but it’s still valuable nonetheless,” he wrote. “The argument could be made that they should have held Brodgon until the trade deadline to maximize his trade value, but that’s just speculation. The team now found a deal they liked and moved on with it. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Cole Huff said the trade…meh.
“Maybe Nesmith will turn into something eventually. It can be turned around, but if not, he’s a great placeholder as the Pacers rebuild,” Huff wrote. “Everyone else involved is unimportant. Still, I LOVE the job for Indy, but I LOVE it not.”
Michael Pina says the Pacers could have gotten more for their most valuable commodity.
“That loot isn’t horrendous, but was it really the best thing Indiana could do? Transactions are complex negotiations and I’m sure they scoured the league looking for a combination of young talent and seed money,” Pina wrote. “The list of interested teams who need a guard and who are willing to give up both things for Brogdon may not have been that long.”
Pina says Indiana is “a team that has a long way to go before they’re good again. This was a good move (if not spectacular) to get them where they want to go.”
Unimpressed by what the Boston Pacers got, Zach Harper says, “The Pacers could have done better here, but they’re on their way to living in the depths of the lottery, and that’s how they choose to reset.
“The problem I have with this return is that the young man the Pacers got isn’t someone they couldn’t have taken out of the G League, the veteran role-player is someone they might be able to flip for a second round pick and the 2023 first round choice does not give them much chance of a definitive contribution in the future.”
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NBA Trade Figures: Pacers Send Malcolm Brogdon to Celtics