The Indiana Pacers have been a surprise success story so far this season, and at 23-19, they currently sit seventh in the Eastern Conference. According to a report, the team might be willing to switch to Chris Duarte to improve their chances of success this season.
“If Indiana decides to join this developing core, the Pacers will have three first-round picks at their disposal in this upcoming draft,” wrote Yahoo!’s Jake Fischer. Sports.
“Indiana has its own pick, plus projected late-starting-round picks from Cleveland (via last year’s Caris LeVert deadline deal) as well as Boston, via the Malcolm Brogdon trade to the Celtics. last July. And although the Pacers had tagged the second-year guard Chris Duarte as off-limits in business talks with some opposing staff, several front office figures told Yahoo! Sports that Indiana has since made the 25-year-old available in recent dialogue.”
Duarte, the 13th overall pick in the NBA Draft NBA From 2021, he has shown promise so far in his young career, but it seems possible the Pacers will look to package him in a deal to acquire more established talent.
So far this season, Duarte’s playing time and production are down quite a bit compared to the role he played in his rookie season. Last season he had 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 28.0 minutes per game.
This season, he is logging just 16.4 minutes per game and racking up 6.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. He’s really struggled with his efficiency, as he’s shooting just 32.1 percent from the field this season.
It’s interesting to note that for a long period of time, the Pacers were viewed as a team that would presumably sell at the deadline. Many fans felt that Myles Turner and Buddy Hield were going to be traded before the February 9 date.
Although that may end up being the case, the success the Pacers have had so far this season could definitely be changing the front office’s goals and tactics for the season.
With less than a month to go until the deadline, Pacers fans are sure to keep an eye on whatever moves the team makes (or doesn’t make).