Indiana Pacers Trade Malcolm Brogdon To Boston And Jumpstart Roster Remake

The Indiana Pacers pushed their roster remake forward early in free agency by trading away guard Malcolm Brogdon. In exchange, the Pacers acquired several players and a first-round draft pick from the Boston Celtics. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN was the first to report the deal.

There had been buzz during the weeks leading up to free agency that Brogdon could be on the move. He turns 30 years old later this year, which puts him outside the age range of the Pacers’ new core — Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, Isaiah Jackson, and Bennedict Mathurin are all 25 or under. Additionally, Haliburton and Brogdon play a similar position, so moving the veteran guard frees up minutes and opportunities for the younger Haliburton.

Combining those factors with the fact that Brogdon is injury prone (he averaged fewer than 50 games played per season with Indiana) made this trade a logical choice for the Pacers. The franchise accelerated its competitive timeline and acquired pieces that are a stronger fit for its roster.

In exchange for Brogdon, the Pacers received five players — Aaron Nesmith, Daniel Theis, Juwan Morgan, Malik Fitts, and Nik Stauskas — as well as a 2023 first round draft pick. The pick is top-12 protected, per Brian Robb of MassLive.

The asset return is secondary for the Pacers in this deal. The biggest benefit is that the team now can hand the keys to the franchise to Haliburton, their big acquisition from the 2022 trade deadline. The 22-year old guard averaged 17.5 points and 9.6 assists per game with Indiana last season even while occasionally (for 201 minutes) sharing the floor with Brogdon. Now, he gets to run the show and develop by himself.

“This guy has been working like crazy this summer… He really wants this, he really wants the role,” Pacers assistant coach Ronald Nored said of Haliburton on Friday. “He’s embracing it in a great way, and I think he’s going to be great.”

The now-younger Pacers squad did also acquire some valuable pieces in the deal. A first-round pick is never a bad asset to gain, and the Pacers got one in the upcoming NBA draft. Right now, Indiana has three first round selections in the 2023 draft (their own, Cleveland’s, and now Boston’s). That’s a solid base of picks for the blue and gold to possess as the front office remakes the roster.

Indiana also acquired a recent lottery pick in the deal in Nesmith. The 6-foot-5-inch wing never found his footing with the Celtics, but he was an elite shooter at Vanderbilt University and may just need a consistent opportunity to take off in the NBA. That’s exactly what happened with Jalen Smith last season — he joined the Pacers after a mid-season trade and his effectiveness immediately rose. Indiana brass will hope something similar can happen with Nesmith, who was a 2020 draft pick (as were Haliburton and Smith).

Theis has some value to Indiana as well. He’s a fantastic screen setter, and his mobility keeps him in the right places on both ends of the floor. Even as a shorter center, he’s contributed to playoff teams in recent seasons.

The German big man may not be worth as much to the Pacers, though. The blue and gold already have Myles Turner, Goga Bitadze, Isaiah Jackson, Terry Taylor, and Smith (reportedly) under contract on the interior — adding in Theis creates a logjam in the paint.

Theis is 30 years old, which is outside of the preferred age range for the youthful Indiana roster. He may stick with the Pacers for some time, but from the outside looking in, he seems like a candidate to be sent away from the team in the Circle City in another deal.

Morgan, Fitts, and Stauskas were needed in the trade to make it legal from a financial standpoint. It is unlikely any of them have a long-term impact on the Pacers.

The Pacers continue to transform their team into a much younger group. Within the last six months, the team has sent away veterans while adding Smith, Haliburton, and Nesmith via trade while also acquiring two first-round picks in future drafts. Indiana wants to transition into a new era.

“As we build out this team, it’s going to take a little bit of time,” Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Prtichard said at a press conference last week, hinting that the rearranging of his roster may not lead to wins immediately. Grabbing more young players is smart for the Pacers outlook long-term, but their return to being a postseason mainstay will take more than one offseason.

After this trade, Indiana now rosters Jackson, Bitadze, Duane Washington Jr, Smith, Haliburton, Taylor, Oshae Brissett, Duarte, Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, Nesmith, and Kendall Brown. Those 12 players (70% of a roster) will all enter the 2022-23 season aged 25 or younger, the Pacers will be leaning on development.

One final benefit for the blue and gold in this deal is that they free up just over $4 million in cap space if they duck below the salary cap. That flexibility could be helpful in other deals.

Indiana won’t be quiet in this free agency period. After sending away Caris LeVert and Domantas Sabonis at the trade deadline in February, the team is taking the next steps in the roster remaking process. Dealing Brogdon was a natural part of that undertaking for Indiana this summer, but not all of it.

Losing Malcolm Brogdon hurts, but it also pushes the Pacers forward long-term. They’re on a team-building path that will take time, and this deal accelerates that timeline.