While there’s going to be a lot riding on Wednesday’s Central Division rivalry showdown between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers, the fact of the matter is that both teams are still keeping their gaze locked on the long season ahead.
For the Pacers, in particular, this means looking at any and all options to further improve their roster ahead of what they are hoping will be an extended playoff push this season.
Woj Bomb Dropped on Indiana Pacers Ahead of Milwaukee Bucks Bout
ESPN’s NBA guru Adrian Wojnarowski recently spoke about how the Pacers have fared this season — including the fact that they went all the way to the championship game of the NBA In-Season Tournament — as well as what we can expect from this team in the near future.
According to Woj, Indiana is positioning itself to make a big move ahead of the February trade deadline:
“They’ve been aggressive in trying to trade for that big, athletic, two-way wing player that they need to build out this roster,” Woj said. “And if that’s OG Anunoby, if that’s Pascal Siakam in Toronto, those kinds of players as they become available in trade talks. As the Pacers, you know that we are willing to risk giving up picks and assets because we believe we will be able to re-sign that player. They’re not going to lose him in free agency.”
The 9-14 Toronto Raptors are in a bit of limbo right now as they struggle to remain relevant in the East. The further they fall in the standings (they are currently 11th in the conference), the more likely they will be willing to blow it up before the deadline.
The biggest names on the trade block for them would potentially be Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, both of whom appear to be on the Pacers’ radar at the moment.
Tyrese Haliburton is the Big Sell
Woj then went on to explain how Tyrese Haliburton and his meteoric rise have changed the game for the Pacers — not only on the basketball court but also beyond. According to the renowned NBA insider, Haliburton has almost single-handedly raised the status of Indiana as a prime destination for players who might be looking for a new home:
“Right now, you look around the league, and players talk,” Woj said. “… Who would not want to play with Tyrese Haliburton right now? And that is transcendent for a market and an organization like Indiana.”
The Pacers are gearing up to aggressively pursue a “big, athletic two-way wing player” to pair alongside Tyrese Haliburton, per @wojespn:
“(The Pacers) are willing to give up picks and assets, because we believe we will be able to re-sign that player. They’re not going to lose… pic.twitter.com/hHkXnqajbe
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) December 8, 2023
Before anything else, though, the Pacers will need to take care of business on Wednesday night against a Bucks team that will be out for some revenge.
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