NBA trade grades: Grading the four-team James Harden blockbuster trade

Indiana Pacers trade grade

The Indiana Pacers were a surprise team to get into the mix in this deal. For their trouble, they received Caris LeVert from the Brooklyn Nets and a second-round pick, and they gave up Victor Oladipo in exchange.

It’s no secret that Oladipo has been wanting out and the Pacers have been looking to find a way to make a deal happen, but this trade for LeVert seems like a deal that didn’t need to be made. Oladipo is a free agent after this season so the clock is ticking to get value for him rather than lose him for nothing in the summer, but LeVert is probably a decent downgrade in talent.

On the other hand, if Oladipo is going to miss back-to-backs and have rest games over the course of the remainder of the season, LeVert provides one of the best talents of all; availability.

The Pacers have been a surprising team this season thanks in large part to Oladipo’s resurgence, Malcolm Brogdon’s fringe MVP play and Damontas Sabonis’s All-Star level performance. Time will tell how Caris LeVert integrates into the whole for head coach Nate Bjokgren.

Grade: C+