Roy Hibbert: A Bargain Trade Target for Contenders

The Indiana Pacers were often regarded as the team with the best chemistry in the league during the first half of the 2013-14 season. They quickly established themselves as a title contender with Paul George’s meteoric rise and one of best defenses in league history.

However, since the 2014 All-Star break, everything has gone wrong for the Pacers: the team started spiraling with a series of poor performances, Roy Hibbert struggled through the playoffs, Lance Stephenson left the franchise as a free agent, and George broke his leg in a horrific accident.

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The situation in Indiana has continued to worsen with Hibbert and his relationship with the franchise.

After Pacers’ general manager Larry Bird hinted that the team would be looking to play a much more up-tempo offense, many thought that Hibbert’s time on the team had come to an end. After all, this was the player who recorded several zero-point games during the 2014 playoff run – an indefensible act for a max-contract center.

The Pacers choosing to draft another center in Myles Turner during the 2015 NBA Draft was effectively the final nail in the coffin for the relationship between player and franchise. Hibbert knew he was dispensable, and he also knew that the team didn’t want him back.

So what did he do?

He opted into the final year of his $15.5 million contract.

The reaction from the Pacers’ fanbase was truly atrocious. Many took to Hibbert’s Twitter page to lambast him for his decision to stay, and even now, the Pacers’ Reddit page is filled with hate-filled posts directed at Hibbert for his decision to stay. It’s startling to see the fall of what was once one of the most beloved players on the Pacers.

After all, it was the Pacers’ decision to match Portland’s offer sheet for Hibbert during the 2012 offseason.

But now, it looks as though Hibbert’s time with the Pacers is rapidly coming to an end. Now in his final contract year, it would benefit both parties greatly to part ways, with the relationship seemingly irreparable. The Pacers will now have to find a suitable trade partner or have him walk away from the franchise at the end of the season for nothing.

The thing is, despite his recent failings, Hibbert is still an asset and could be a key component for a contending team. It’s clear that the relationship has run its course, so teams would be able to acquire Hibbert at a bargain. Depending on how desperate the Pacers are, a team offering a late first-round pick or two second rounders could be all that’s needed to get Hibbert.

There aren’t many 7-footers in the league, and not many have the same defensive impact that Hibbert has. Hibbert could still lay claim as the best defensive center in the league, and was even able to anchor a top-eight defense with Indiana last season, despite losing two of their best perimeter defenders from the season before (Stephenson and George).

A starting lineup of Solomon Hill, David West, C.J. Miles, Rodney Stuckey and Hibbert is not top-eight defense material. Sure, Pacers’ coach Frank Vogel deserves a lot of credit, but Hibbert’s defensive presence should not be overlooked.

The other thing that might entice contenders is Hibbert’s attitude on the offensive end. He received a lot of flak for scoring zero points in four games during their 2014 playoff run, but he shouldn’t be expected to score. He isn’t one to demand the ball in the post or complain about his lack of touches on the offensive end (I’m looking at you, Dwight Howard).

All he wants to do (and rightly so) is to play defense – and this fits perfectly with many teams out there. There are a few offensive-minded teams that are lacking in defensive cover that could use Hibbert’s defense.

The Dallas Mavericks could be in play for a defensive center if they whiff on DeAndre Jordan and let Tyson Chandler walk. If Brook Lopez chooses not to re-sign with the Brooklyn Nets, Hibbert could be a trade target since the Pacers need some perimeter scoring. And if the Milwaukee Bucks aren’t able to convince Chandler to sign, they could look at Hibbert as an alternative.

Hibbert’s time with the Pacers has come to a tumultuous end, but it’s not the end for the All-Star. Despite his rapidly dropping stock with the Indiana franchise, he could still have some hidden value for a team looking for a defensive big man.

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