Tag: Pacers

With the recent news that backup center Larry Nance Jr will miss some time with a broken hand, it seems clear that the Hawks are going to need some more scoring on their bench. It may not be Atlanta’s most pressing need, but it is an area to consider. The offensive prowess of the Hawks’ bench – they are top-5 in points scored across the NBA – has been critical to many of their victories. It would make sense to keep that going.

As a result, one name that could make sense for them to add is Bennedict Mathurin. The third-year wing is currently averaging 16.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 45.9/36.4/84.4 shooting splits as he’s made his way into Indiana’s starting lineup. He’s more offensively-tilted, but he’s great at providing a jolt of offense into stagnant lineups and uses his athleticism well. He draws contact and has plenty of confidence as an isolation scorer. In short, he’s well suited to be a backup scorer and should not be overtaxed in that role with the Hawks.

Now, the Pacers have not had a great season. They’ve been one of the most inconsistent teams in the NBA, but just beat the Celtics in an excellent rebound performance after getting blown out by the same Boston team in their previous game. As a result, they may want to consider making some changes in their starting lineup. If they do, a former Atlanta Hawk might make sense for them to acquire.

Lost in the quagmire of the Utah Jazz’s effort to tank for Cooper Flagg is a very strong season from Collins. He’s putting up 17.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 52.3/42.4/87.1 splits. The three-point shooting (on a modest volume of 3.3 shots from deep per game) and free throw shooting are especially impressive as he’s remade his game to fit at either center or forward. His activity on the glass, overall athleticism and ability to make simple reads should be a nice fit with Indiana. Inserting him into the starting lineup would give the Pacers five credible shooters and give them some lineup flexibility as they toy with lineups that put Collins or Myles Turner at the center spot.

Given the needs of these respective teams, could a three-team deal come to fruition? Here is one possible framework for such a deal.

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks should do or will do. That is all.

Atlanta Hawks get: Bennedict Mathurin, 2031 2nd-round pick (via Utah), 2027 1st-round pick (from Cleveland, via Utah, top-8 protected)

Indiana Pacers get: John Collins, 2028 2nd-round pick (from Houston, via Atlanta), 2031 2nd-round pick (via Atlanta)

Utah Jazz get: Obi Toppin, Kobe Bufkin, Cody Zeller, 2025 1st round pick (from Sacramento, via Atlanta, top-12 protected)

Why the Hawks would do this trade: Bufkin is a talented backup point guard who shows signs of being a real two-way force, but the opportunity to add another first-round pick and a contributor this season in Mathurin is too big to ignore. At his best, he’s a shooter with size that would inject a scoring punch into an already effective Atlanta bench unit. Furthermore, they are flipping a 2025 first-rounder that has a low likelihood of conveying into a 2027 pick with slightly better odds.

Why the Hawks would not do this trade: Bufkin has played in very few games so far and his value is currently at its lowest point. Furthermore, Mathurin can be somewhat of a ball-stopper and struggles to be a connective player. That could be a tough fit with Atlanta. He also carries a salary of over $7 million for this year and a similar salary next season, which is a significant amount of money for a player that might not be a good fit.

Why the Pacers would do this trade: Myles Turner could be lured away from Indiana by teams interested in his combination of shot-blocking and three-point shooting. As a result, the Pacers might not be able to re-sign him to a new deal. He has played well this season after a poor start, so there is little chance that Indiana can sign him on a cheaper deal. Therefore, this is a good opportunity to add Collins and then perhaps even re-sign Turner if the interest in his services is not as high as previously believed. Either way, it’s a good way for Indiana to hedge its bets. Collins is shooting better than Turner from deep while also having the optionality to play at either center or power forward. He is also out-rebounding Turner and the Pacers are one of the worst rebounding teams in basketball.

Why the Pacers would not do this trade: Collins’ skillset could be redundant with Pascal Siakam and Turner has been very impactful in a way that might not still be true with Collins next to him. Although the Pacers are in danger of being relegated to the play-in, it’s possible this causes more issues than actual solutions.

Why the Jazz would do this trade: Bufkin is an interesting development project for a Jazz squad that has little settled at either spot in its backcourt. Although Toppin is sidelined by an injury, his incredible athleticism would pair well with a young Jazz squad trying to find its identity. He’s a strong play finisher who could grow into a possible future contributor for Utah. They also take a shot on adding a 2025 1st-round pick that might convey. Even if it doesn’t convey this draft, it could be used as ammo to trade up because the pick moves over to the 2026 draft, which also projects to be a strong class. Zeller can soak up minutes for the Jazz and provides a veteran presence in the locker room. Pretty simply, they get something in exchange for a player that is likely to leave once his contract expires.

Why the Jazz would not do this trade: Neither Bufkin or Toppin project to have incredibly high ceilings at this stage and Utah is currently trying to develop tons of its players. They need to start getting more sure things than projects and this only adds to their development needs.

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