Remember when the Pacers tossed Roy Hibbert to the LA Lakers for a future second round pick?
Well, that pick was was for the 2019 NBA Draft. Betting that the Lakers might not suck that bad by then, the Pacers traded away that pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for this year’s 36th pick, Rakeem Christmas (originally selected by the Timberwolves and traded to the Cavs on draft night).
Christmas worked out for the Pacers prior to the draft and it seems they liked his potential enough to take a small gamble on him. The 6-9, 250 pound forward averaged 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds on 55% shooting in his senior season during his four-year collegiate career at Syracuse.
At the recent Las Vegas Summer League, his numbers were a lot more modest: 8 points and 4.5 rebounds a game. It has been reported that the Pacers might be looking to send him to their D-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, for further development.
He’s known for his ability to finish at the rim, his rim protection (thanks to his 7-5.25 wingspan) and offensive rebounding, but at 23 years of age already, it’s hard to envision Christmas’s ceiling being a lot higher than it is now.
This move is probably really just the Pacers doing a solid for the Cavs, who are looking to increase flexibility to move Brendan Haywood.
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