Indiana Pacers depth chart update trade Buddy Hield

The Indiana Pacers made a curious trade sending Buddy Hield to the 76ers for Marcus Morris, Furkan Korkmaz, and draft picks.

The Indiana Pacers have been a surprising team in the NBA this season, with a 29-23 record in their first 52 games, sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference despite Tyrese Halliburton missing substantial time.

However, the Pacers made a curious deal on NBA trade deadline day, sending Buddy Hield to the 76ers for Marcus Morris, Furkan Korkmaz, and three second-round picks. While Hield has been a player constantly mentioned in trade rumors, the return for a team vying for a playoff spot is questionable.

Hield's role in the Pacers rotation has fluctuated throughout the year, starting 28 of his 52 games played and playing a big role off the bench in the other 24. The Pacers did acquire second-round draft picks, but lost a key contributor and got a pair of players who don't figure to see much action in return. With that being said, let's take a look at the Pacers projected depth chart now that Buddy Hield is headed to Philadelphia.

Without Hield in the rotation, the Pacers will likely have rookie guard Ben Sheppard or veteran Marcus Morris play in his place. This means more minutes for players like Nesmith, Nembhard, and Mathurin at the shooting guard and small forward spots.

The Pacers have the depth necessary to still field a solid nine or ten-man rotation without Hield. It should be exciting to see more shots available for sharpshooters Nesmith and Mathurin. While there's a chance Morris sees consistent playing time, it would take a lot for the other new acquisition, Furkan Korkmaz, to see regular action.

It will be interesting to see how the Pacers' spacing is affected, if at all, with Hield's departure. He's an elite shooter, but Indiana has several other high-end shooters for the opposition to worry about.

Share With Others