Indiana Pacers: Pass or pursue these 3 NBA trade deadline rumors
By Duncan Smith
Should the Indiana Pacers move Damontas Sabonis at the NBA trade deadline?
Damontas Sabonis is a surprising name to hit the rumor mill for the Pacers. He’s a two-time All-Star, coming off back-to-back appearances, and he was one of the driving forces in the early-season success they had.
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According to Goodwill, other teams are “monitoring” Sabonis’s status and if the Pacers make him available it’s safe to say there will be plenty of offers for his services. He’s having a career year, averaging 20.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the field.
Sabonis won’t turn 25 until May, and he’s on a reasonably team-friendly four-year, $77 million contract through 2023-24. He’s no superstar, but he’s a steady force on a team that relies upon his consistency. Unless some team comes by with a huge offer that blows them away, the Pacers should hang on to him.
Of course, it’s important to remember that it appears the origin of these rumors is external, rather than from the Pacers themselves. That being the case, don’t expect Damontas Sabonis to be on the move at the NBA trade deadline.