The Indiana Pacers had a busy NBA trade deadline day:
∎ They trade Buddy Hield to the Philadelphia 76ers for two players (who won't suit up for the Pacers) and draft picks.
∎ They send one of the players they got from the Sixers, Marcus Morris, to the Spurs for Doug McDermott.
∎ They sent a draft pick to the Warriors for cash and Cory Joseph, then cut him.
So at the end of all that, they traded the expiring contract of a 3-point shooter (Hield: 12.0 points, 38.4% on 3s, 137 3s) to an Eastern Conference competitor and got the expiring contract of a lesser-used 3-point shooter (McDermott: 6.0 points, 43.9% on 3s, 76 3s) and a second round pick.
How did the Pacers do?
Doyel:Moves by Pacers leave a clear winner: Bennedict Mathurin
Dopirak:Hield trade may be a good business move but is the team better?
NBA trade grades: Doug McDermott
Dan Favale, Bleacher Report: Pacers A, Spurs A-
Let's be clear about one thing: McDermott does not replace Buddy Hield's functional gravity. He does, however, remain a malleable offensive weapon.
McDermott will supplement some of the outside efficiency and volume forfeited with Hield's departure — depending on how much he plays. The 32-year-old is canning 43.5% of his spot-up triples.
The Pacers have the spacing to utilize him on cuts, and he's shown in the past that he can impactful in those situations. This is a worthwhile stopgap for a team straddling multiple (if not warring) agendas.
Ricky O'Donnell, SB Nation: Pacers A-
The Pacers sent out a knockdown shooter when they traded Buddy Hield to the Sixers earlier in the day. They are getting a knockdown shooter back by re-acquiring former Pacer Doug McDermott. McDermott can give Indiana the deep shooting and quick trigger required to keep their No. 1 offense humming. McDermott will be a free agent after the season, so it remains to be seen if he’s part of Indiana’s long-term plans, but this move makes up for the curious decision to trade Hield.
NBA trade grades: Buddy Hield
Sam Quinn, CBS Sports: Sixers B+, Pacers C
The Pacers weren't going to re-sign Hield. That much had been apparent for the better part of a year. Mathurin and Nembhard were far ahead of him on the hierarchy. The Pacers presumably want to find minutes for rookie Ben Sheppard as well. The raw concept of trading Hield for second-round picks wasn't crazy.
But the Pacers are in the thick of a seeding battle with the 76ers right now. With Joel Embiid sidelined, the Pacers could easily catch and pass Philadelphia in the near future. With the Heat and Magic both in striking distance, there's a real chance the Pacers land in the play-in round this season. That's not the end of the world, but guaranteed playoff experience matters to a team as young as the Pacers. They've made their lives harder on that front by strengthening the 76ers. Was that really worth a slightly better offer than they could have gotten elsewhere? Probably not.
Rohan Nadkarni, Sports Illustrated: Sixers B+, Pacers C-
This move is financially motivated for Indiana more than anything else. With Tyrese Haliburton’s contract extension kicking in next season and a new deal needed for Pascal Siakam, it looks like the Pacers weren’t confident about bringing back Hield as a part of their future. Three second-round picks is not nothing. At the very least, it gives a small-market team more bites at the apple at filling out its rotation around the Haliburton-Siakam pairing. Morris and Korkmaz are currently more salary filler than guys who should expect minutes, though perhaps Korkmaz’s outside shooting could help on certain nights. Short term, this trade weakens the Pacers and strengthens a team they could have to face in the playoffs. That’s not very fun.
Dan Favale, Bleacher Report: Sixers A+, Pacers C-
Rationalizing this deal through the Pacers' lens isn't that difficult. Hield is entering free agency and have left for nothing this summer. Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard and Ben Sheppard are on the roster. A Hield-Tyrese Haliburton duo is rough defensively. And Indy bags a potential top-40 pick after shipping out its own first-rounder this year in the Pascal Siakam trade.
With all of that in mind: Eh.
Ricky O'Donnell, SB Nation: Sixers A, Pacers D
Hield is one of the best high-volume three-point shooters of all-time, and his value is greater than his percentage of makes from deep. With a quick trigger and unlimited range, Hield brings so much gravity to any offense. The spacing he provides is a big reason why the Pacers are putting up the most efficient offense in league history right now. In Philly, Hield is a great fit with Joel Embiid on the floor, but he also helps the team while the MVP is out just in terms of maximizing their shot profile. Daryl Morey understands the math behind how to win, and Hield will help him get there. Even if Hield didn’t want to be in Indiana beyond this year — he had requested a trade at the start of the season — I’m still not sure why the Pacers did this. Hield was a real part of their success this year, and they will miss him even with young replacements like Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard lined up.
