The big question the Indiana Pacers find themselves with after an impressive—though some may consider it fluky—2024 playoff run is whether they can take one more step and make their first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years.
Tyrese Haliburton is doing his best to lead the team, but their 18-18 record puts them in the middle of the play-in tournament spots. Moreover, the fact that the team currently doesn’t have a clear scoring leader makes it tough for Rick Carlisle to finish games they could have easily won.
While Haliburton can coolly put up 18.3 points a game this season, he’s more effective as a facilitator than a primary scorer. Because of this, Indy is being linked to a young scorer who is currently plying his trade with a team expected to tank for the first overall pick this year.
The Pacers are linked to Brooklyn’s Cameron Johnson as their primary acquisition before the trade deadline
The Brooklyn Nets are in no shape or form ready to compete for the postseason, so they’re more than happy to sell off almost every valuable asset on their roster in exchange for draft picks and young talent.
Cameron Johnson is at the top of the list of players who might leave the Nets before the trade deadline. The 28-year-old forward is averaging an impressive 19.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists despite not having a decent point guard to play with. He’s already being linked to a couple of interesting destinations due to his talent.
Marc Stein first floated the idea of Johnson joining the Pacers as a potential scoring threat alongside Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, and Sports Illustrated’s Matt Levine detailed the logic behind the prospective move:
If the Pacers want to be more competitive in the Eastern Conference, a move for Johnson could be the answer. Johnson would give them a sharpshooting wing presence who can also play strong defense.
It would take some draft capital to land Johnson but it could be worth it. Johnson is exactly the type of player that Indiana could use to get over the hump.
It’s not hard to imagine Johnson breaking the 20-point mark if Indiana pairs him up with Haliburton. Given how he performed without a solid team, one can only imagine how he would perform in Indiana.
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