NBA Rumors: Will Mavs, Pacers be interested in Nikola Pekovic trade?

Mar 11, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic (14) against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Timberwolves 106-97. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic (14) against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Timberwolves 106-97. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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We are less than a month into the NBA season, but already players like Nikola Pekovic are looking like trade candidates. 

It’s way too early to be trying to peg what players might be on the trade block and especially to whom those players will be traded. But it’s never too early to start thinking about players that have all the prerequisites to be trade candidates at the deadline.

NBA scribe Chris Crouse opines that the the Mavericks and Pacers might be interested in a Nikola Pekovic trade later on this season.

"You’d have to think the Mavs would be interested in acquiring the big man. Half of Dallas’ roster cant be traded until December 15th, but at that point, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear rumblings about a deal. I could also see the Pacers making a move for Pekovic if their small ball plan doesn’t pan out."

Pekovic has had good years in Minnesota, but he’s being phased out thanks to injury and the young core the Wolves have to throw into rotations. There was a time when Pek was a great player next to Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, but that threesome never materialized anything of note, and now that Karl-Anthony Towns and Gorgui Dieng are being worked into the rotation more, Pekovic’s role is withering.

Dallas seems to be a great fit for Pekovic, as they’ve been looking for a rim protector for ages now. Indiana also makes sense if they need to hard pivot away from their current strategy which so far has garnered mixed results.

Again, it’s way too early to definitively say that anyone would be interested in Pekovic or if the Wolves are interested in trading him. But it’s discussion worth having, and a situation to monitor moving forward.