The Indiana Pacers have an offseason of likely change ahead of them as many faces on the roster now may not be there when the season tips off for them again in November, and some news faces are likely to be here that we just can’t pinpoint at the moment. But regardless of who leaves and who comes aboard, the fact of the matter is the Pacers front office is already thinking about how to change the roster and get better.
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Wholesale change isn’t what Indiana is looking for, but they are looking to add some pieces who can put them over the top and perhaps purge some pieces they feel may be weighing them down.
According to USA Today, the Pacers are looking to trade back into the first round of this year’s draft so that they can not only recoup the pick they lost in a trade with the Phoenix Suns but also so they can grab a young prospect so add to the roster an develop with the team chemistry Indiana prides itself on.
"Bird and coach Frank Vogel both talked Monday about considering trades, and Bird even suggested he might make a move to get back into the first round. … But they expect most of the changes to come from the roster that already exists."
This seems to make sense as the Pacers need youthful talent on the team that they can develop themselves rather than be a team who tries to hoard talent the way others do. There has been talk of the Pacers possibly replacing George Hill and that could lead to a trade into the first round to take someone like Russ Smith or Shabazz Napier.
Indiana could also look at one of the numerous forwards late in the round who are expected to be there, like Glenn Robinson III and K.J. McDaniels.
Either way, Indiana is looking to trade back into the first round and that may be their first smart move of the offseason.