Kings and Pacers

[Astaluego]

He is starting and playing > 30 minutes for the 3rd best team in the western conference. He is just now the same age as Keegan Murray was as a rookie.

His value is still high, right? Switchable 1-5, shoots the 3, defends at a high level, plug and play to the highest degree, and still is 21 years young.

If his value was a mediocre Spurs pick in 3 years, my Pacers would offer much more than that.

Yes, I know what Smith was projecting, but up to this point and based on what his fan base and his numbers think... so far it has been a failure. mediocre shooter, poor rebounder for his size/position, 0 playmaking and Houston's defense is better when his backup (T.Eason) plays...so I'm not sure if it starts on his own merits or because of his 3 pick status .... Today he is not even worth his salary, in terms of production...so I'm sure he undervalues him, but I don't think his value is enormous.

A starter on a 32-16 team is worth 10 Million easily.

since he got hurt, Houston has a 10-5 record with wins over Boston/Denver/Cavs.which is exactly the same winning pace as with him..in my opinion it is the definition of not moving the needle at all (at less in his current situation in Houston)...the eye test tells me that Eason is MUCH more valuable and the salary/ceiling than Whitmore is as well (not to mention Brooks/Amen who are in another stratosphere, in terms of impact)..next season, he will be in the last year of his rookie contract and on the margins of his position in the Draft...he is in my opinion the most expendable of their talented forwards...what is certain is that he will not They will be able to pay everyone and eventually they will have to get rid of some

[LightTheBeam]

Bunch of smoke sac not done on twitter. sac still wants cam johnson.
If they can pull off demar + picks for cam.
I think Isaac jones is getting signed to the roster and maybe a lyles replacement.

That opens the door to lyles + 2 2nds for toppin.

Kings stay well under the tax. Pacers get their expiring big. This financially probably is more in line with what sac wants.

[ReggiesKnicks]

Bunch of smoke sac not done on twitter. sac still wants cam johnson.
If they can pull off demar + picks for cam.
I think Isaac jones is getting signed to the roster and maybe a lyles replacement.

That opens the door to lyles + 2 2nds for toppin.

Kings stay well under the tax. Pacers get their expiring big. This financially probably is more in line with what sac wants.

Nets aren't going to want Demar, which means the Kings need to find a suitor.

[OGSactownballer]

I’d rather send the fake Charlotte first to Utah for Collins.

He’s a better fit and a truer big.

That requires Demar to be sent out, I don't see why we can't do both?

Monk - Lavine - Keegan - Collins - Sabonis
Carter - Keon - Obi - Lyles

Demar trade is next.

I’m fine with that because the current roster is still incredibly unbalanced.

I’d also be good with:

Lyles, Len and filler and smaller TPE + three seconds

For


Val and Kuzma.

[OGSactownballer]

Then fit Obi into the bigger TPE with the Spurs first and a token player going back.

[LightTheBeam]

I’d rather send the fake Charlotte first to Utah for Collins.

He’s a better fit and a truer big.

That requires Demar to be sent out, I don't see why we can't do both?

Monk - Lavine - Keegan - Collins - Sabonis
Carter - Keon - Obi - Lyles

Demar trade is next.

I’m fine with that because the current roster is still incredibly unbalanced.

I’d also be good with:

Lyles, Len and filler and smaller TPE + three seconds

For


Val and Kuzma.

Cant combine tpe with salaries. Kuzma doesn't fit into tpe.
Also for the love of God keep kuzma away from kings. I want 2022/23 kings basketball back. Up tempo, fast, shooting, etc. If we moving Fox, move demar, and don't bring a kuzma. No more of that type of player.

[OGSactownballer]

That requires Demar to be sent out, I don't see why we can't do both?

Monk - Lavine - Keegan - Collins - Sabonis
Carter - Keon - Obi - Lyles

Demar trade is next.

I’m fine with that because the current roster is still incredibly unbalanced.

I’d also be good with:

Lyles, Len and filler and smaller TPE + three seconds

For


Val and Kuzma.

Cant combine tpe with salaries. Kuzma doesn't fit into tpe.
Also for the love of God keep kuzma away from kings. I want 2022/23 kings basketball back. Up tempo, fast, shooting, etc. If we moving Fox, move demar, and don't bring a kuzma. No more of that type of player.

Then for one part just do Val for two seconds into the lesser TPE.

We need a competent beef guy to beat on Jokic and other bigs in the West and give Domas a break from having that happen to him.

[OGSactownballer]

After then I do DeMar and the Spurs pick for Collins.

Monk/Lavine/Murray/Collins/Sabonis mat CJ es with any starting group in the league.

Bench still needs boosting so need to address that.

Ellis/Val/Lyles/both Jones/Len missing a SF backup.

[basketballwacko2]

This is a great move financially for the Pacers but might make them worse on the floor this year. As well as they are playing the last 15 games it's tough to make a such a change.

When everyone is healthy, who is playing and who isn't?

Hali - Nembhard - Mathurin - Siakam - Turner
McConnell - Sheppard - Nesmith - Walker - Toppin - Bryant

I'd also guess there's an appetite to bring Jackson back next year. Seems like they could afford to move one of these bench guys, Toppin or Nesmith?

If your team had won 15 of the last 20 games would you be willing to change anything major? Or take a step back in talent?

[basketballwacko2]

Bunch of smoke sac not done on twitter. sac still wants cam johnson.
If they can pull off demar + picks for cam.
I think Isaac jones is getting signed to the roster and maybe a lyles replacement.

That opens the door to lyles + 2 2nds for toppin.

Kings stay well under the tax. Pacers get their expiring big. This financially probably is more in line with what sac wants.

I'd probably have to do that.

[LightTheBeam]

Bunch of smoke sac not done on twitter. sac still wants cam johnson.
If they can pull off demar + picks for cam.
I think Isaac jones is getting signed to the roster and maybe a lyles replacement.

That opens the door to lyles + 2 2nds for toppin.

Kings stay well under the tax. Pacers get their expiring big. This financially probably is more in line with what sac wants.

I'd probably have to do that.

If your team had won 15 of the last 20 games would you be willing to change anything major? Or take a step back in talent?

I get that Indiana would have some reservations breaking up any part of the team, but it sounds like they don't want to pay the tax, and clearly Turner is more valuable. There was also smoke about them looking for Toppin suitors.

Kings now have a boat load of 2nds and McDermott or Lyles depending how much Indiana wanted to save vs saw a need.

I just think the 2 teams make so much sense here. Also Indiana has the replacement already on the roster. Jarace played 14mpg in January, I'd imagine they want to start finding more minutes for him to progress anyways.

[LightTheBeam]

After then I do DeMar and the Spurs pick for Collins.

Monk/Lavine/Murray/Collins/Sabonis mat CJ es with any starting group in the league.

Bench still needs boosting so need to address that.

Ellis/Val/Lyles/both Jones/Len missing a SF backup.

Personally I'm not a Val guy. I really want to get a backup big that can pair with Sabonis, but I also know we like shooters. Collins IMO makes a ton of sense, just much harder to find the salary for him now while adding another guy and not ending up in the tax. I'm operating with the mentality that going into the tax is completely off the table.

The 2 most ideal players to me are PJ + Toppin. Combined they make about what Collins does. PJ is signed through next year, Toppin has 3 more years at an AAV 15/year.

A forward trio of Toppin, PJ, Keegan seems ideal for a Monk/Lavine/Sabonis team. 3 Guys who can pace and space the floor, while also playing good defense.

[basketballwacko2]

Bunch of smoke sac not done on twitter. sac still wants cam johnson.
If they can pull off demar + picks for cam.
I think Isaac jones is getting signed to the roster and maybe a lyles replacement.

That opens the door to lyles + 2 2nds for toppin.

Kings stay well under the tax. Pacers get their expiring big. This financially probably is more in line with what sac wants.

I'd probably have to do that.

If your team had won 15 of the last 20 games would you be willing to change anything major? Or take a step back in talent?

I get that Indiana would have some reservations breaking up any part of the team, but it sounds like they don't want to pay the tax, and clearly Turner is more valuable. There was also smoke about them looking for Toppin suitors.

Kings now have a boat load of 2nds and McDermott or Lyles depending how much Indiana wanted to save vs saw a need.

I just think the 2 teams make so much sense here. Also Indiana has the replacement already on the roster. Jarace played 14mpg in January, I'd imagine they want to start finding more minutes for him to progress anyways.

The Pacers are not paying tax this season. They have the off season to address tax for 2025-26.

[LightTheBeam]

I'd probably have to do that.

If your team had won 15 of the last 20 games would you be willing to change anything major? Or take a step back in talent?

I get that Indiana would have some reservations breaking up any part of the team, but it sounds like they don't want to pay the tax, and clearly Turner is more valuable. There was also smoke about them looking for Toppin suitors.

Kings now have a boat load of 2nds and McDermott or Lyles depending how much Indiana wanted to save vs saw a need.

I just think the 2 teams make so much sense here. Also Indiana has the replacement already on the roster. Jarace played 14mpg in January, I'd imagine they want to start finding more minutes for him to progress anyways.

The Pacers are not paying tax this season. They have the off season to address tax for 2025-26.

I know. What I was alluding to is it sounded like Indiana wanted to get ahead of it before hitting the off-season.

"They have discussed Obi Toppin, who makes $14 million next season, with other teams leading into the deadline, though there hasn’t been much traction in those conversations, according to league sources. But sending someone like Toppin into another team’s cap space during the offseason just to unload his salary could cost the Pacers a draft pick, whereas if they did a deal today, they could receive back an expiring salary and maybe wouldn’t have to part with an additional asset."

I actually tend to agree with this. Come off-season teams will be looking at FA's. Always seems to me that guys like Toppin are better to move mid-season when other teams are trying to make a run of their own. Rather than off-season when teams always are aiming higher to start.

Also seems to me like most of the cap space teams are rebuilding teams this off-season. I can't see them valuing Toppin the player. But maybe that makes sense for Indiana? Keep him for the playoff run, then pay a few 2nds to a young team to take him.

[Wizop]

. But maybe that makes sense for Indiana? Keep him for the playoff run, then pay a few 2nds to a young team to take him.

That's the popular opinion on the Pacer forum

Also Walker's January minutes were at 3. Toppin is a better backup 4 in the short run.