24 hours after swapping point guards, Indiana finds a new power forward for its run-and-gun aspirations. What does this trade mean for both teams?
With six hours left before the start of the 2016 NBA Draft, seemingly every team in the draft is on the phone listening to offers for their draft picks. Yesterday Indiana took place in the first deal of the offseason by acquiring Jeff Teague from Atlanta, sending George Hill to Utah as part of the three-team trade.
The Pacers struck again on Draft Day, finding a new power forward in Thaddeus Young. The Nets, one of a number of teams without a first-round pick, took another step in their rebuild by trading Young. In return they acquired the #20 pick in this year’s draft, as well as a future 2nd rounder from the Pacers. The Vertical first broke the news:
Brooklyn has traded forward Thad Young to the Indiana Pacers for the 20th pick and a future 2nd rounder, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 23, 2016
For Indiana, they have been clear since being eliminated in the first round against the Toronto Raptors: they want to play fast. Larry Bird named it as the reason they fired Frank Vogel and installed Nate McMillan as their new head coach. It seems that they are putting their money – and roster spots – where their mouth is.
Thaddeus Young is a talented offensive player, with a jumper out to 20 feet and great touch around the basket. He rebounds well for his size, which is what allowed him to move from small to power forward over his career. If rising sophomore big man Myles Turner is going to be a center long-term, Young now gives them a viable option at the 4 who can run with a fast-paced offense.
No player at #20 was going to provide the skill and production Young brings to the Pacers. A player like Deyonta Davis or Taurean Prince would be hoping to reach Thaddeus Young’s level in a few years. Young gives the Pacers an option they plug in now.
The downside for Indiana is twofold. The first is price; Young will be making around $14 million per year for the next three seasons, which is about average money for a starter under the inflated cap. That means the Pacers will have less space to sign free agents, including their own players such as Ian Mahinmi. This trade could be a dign that Mahinmi is not long for Indiana, but he played well for them last year and it will be a blow to lose him for nothing.
The other downside is on defense. While Young, Turner, and Jeff Teague can all be solid parts of a strong team defense, they will combine to be average-at-best defenders for the Pacers in the starting lineup. Add in Monta Ellis, a rotating door on defense, and this team will struggle to defend at a high level.
For Brooklyn, this pick is in part an admission that they understand they are not a playoff team, and will not be for some time. Young, along with Brook Lopez, was one of two players they could trade for real assets. For a team on a timeline as long as Brooklyn’s, having cost-controlled young players is more important than solid veterans.
Their pick at #20 opens up a number of options for them. They should go after a guard, whether that is Dejounte Murray, Wade Baldwin, or Tyler Ullis. Isaiah Whitehead would be a reach at 20, but has been a popular name tied to Brooklyn recently. If they go for wing help, Malachi Richardson or Denzel Valentine could be valuable part of a rotation in the future.
This move also opens up the possibility that Brook Lopez is dealt today or in the near future. Lopez has All-Star level talent on offense, and is a passable rim protector. While he has limitations defending the pick-and-roll and being dominant on the glass, a team may give up a slightly better package for him. If Al Horford is leaving Atlanta, would the Hawks trade #12 and Tim Hardaway Jr. for Brook Lopez? What about Chicago giving up #14 to pair the Lopez twins?
The final piece in this puzzle is the Boston Celtics. With Brooklyn seeming to finally acknowledge its long-term identity as a rebuilding team, the Celtics are in line to get a another high draft pick next year, after receiving #3 this year. Without Young, the Nets are considerably worse. Include Brook Lopez and the Nets may be the early clubhouse leader for worst record in the league next year. Danny Ainge may be sitting in his office just grinning.
In all, the Pacers got a veteran power forward who can contribute now and fits their new identity; it’s hard to fault them for this move, especially since a slightly higher pick was dealt for Markieff Morris at the deadline. They gave up a decent asset and got at least that in return. Brooklyn got a real draft asset in hand, making a trade like last year that saw them acquire the rights to draft Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. If this is the start of their rebuild, then they took a reasonable first step.
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