Indiana Pacers: 5 offseason roster moves they must make

5. Trade Victor Oladipo

When Victor Oladipo first came to the Pacers via trade he was the major piece of the deal. In the years that have followed, it is in fact Sabonis who has become the more important of the two players for the team.

In fact, the Pacers did quite well without Oladipo last season. As mentioned earlier, Oladipo was only available for 19 games and when he returned, he was not available for seven of the possible 26 games.

His production was also down, averaging 14.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 0.9 steals in 27.8 minutes per game. His scoring numbers are the second-lowest of his career and it is the first time he has not averaged at least 1.0 steals per game.

He has given the indication that he might not want to remain with the Pacers when his current contract expires at the end of the 2020-21 season. So, while his trade value may be low right now, it will be better than losing him for nothing in free agency.

The Pacers should not wait for the mid-season deadline given the Oladipo is coming off a major injury. There is a chance that he will lose all trade value if he is injured for any period of time next season.

If the Pacers are able to make the right trade, they will then be able to have the preseason to get the play acquainted with the team’s systems. This will hopefully give them a better run into the season than they had last year.