The Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers face off for the primary time this season tonight, however their upcoming on-court battle isn’t the one motive the 2 groups have been intertwined this season.

Somewhat, commerce rumors involving Lakers level guard Russell Westbrook have been the headline involving the 2 squads. A number of publications have reported that the 2 franchises have mentioned a deal, and the Pacers are uniquely located to make a Westbrook commerce since they’re beneath the wage flooring.

In the course of the season, the chatter has not gone away. Indiana middle Myles Turner was requested a couple of potential deal on The Woj Pod in late October, and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote a narrative on it earlier at present. It will likely be a relentless story till the commerce deadline passes or a deal is accomplished.

“Me and the group are in an ideal place, and that’s all that issues to me,” Turner mentioned of the Pacers roughly per week after the podcast look.

Normally, the commerce that has been reportedly mentioned entails Westbrook, Turner, Pacers guard Buddy Hield, and two Los Angeles first-round draft picks (in 2027 and 2029). From the 1,000-foot view, such a deal would enhance the Lakers roster and provides Indiana draft capital. However the Pacers have stunned many, and people two picks are two of the Lakers’ solely tradable property to assist enhance their workforce. It’s a sophisticated deal to create.

The clock is ticking quick on the scenario. Turner and Westbrook are on expiring contracts, that means each groups may very well be in wildly totally different conditions as early as February. With LeBron James and the Lakers hoping to be title contenders sooner somewhat than later, it’s a continually evolving scenario that modifications day by day, and it might change once more tonight because the groups conflict.

The primary 18 video games for each groups have altered the optics of a deal. For Indiana, the workforce has began the season higher than anticipated, and each Turner and Hield have performed an element within the shocking surge.

Turner has been nominated for the Jap Convention Participant of the Week award thrice this season already. He’s presently averaging profession highs in each scoring (18.2 factors per recreation) and rebounding (8.1 boards per recreation) whereas blocking greater than two photographs per contest and taking pictures over 43% from deep. He has been glorious to start out the yr.

The 26-year previous huge man can also be an incredible match with the franchise’s younger stars in Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin. Whereas his expiring contract will make him a commerce candidate all season, he has been a large boon for the blue and gold.

Hield, in the meantime, is averaging 17.3 factors per recreation on almost career-best effectivity. His passing and rebounding have improved, and he’s third within the NBA in made three-point photographs. He’s shut with Haliburton and a very good participant, which makes him precious to Indiana. And his contract will not be expiring — it runs by the 2023-24 season — so there may be much less urgency to maneuver him than there may very well be with Turner or Westbrook.

“His strategy is at all times fairly constant. He’s going to be aggressive, he’s an ideal mover with out the ball,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle mentioned of Hield earlier this season.

As a result of the Pacers have performed effectively opening the marketing campaign, and each of these gamers have doubtless elevated their commerce worth considerably within the first month-and-a-half of the season, the franchise could also be much less keen to make a deal that entails taking again Westbrook’s contract. They might get related property from different groups with out doing so.

For the Lakers, their 7-11 begin has barely modified issues. It hasn’t been nice, but it surely hasn’t been terrible, both, and the workforce has received 5 of its final six video games. LA has hit a stride regardless of extra losses than wins.

What Los Angeles has to ask is straightforward: does this commerce make them a title contender? If it does, then they need to strongly think about it with LeBron James turning 38-years previous later this yr. If it doesn’t make them a contender, it may very well be smarter for the group to hold on to its property.

One other change within the dynamics of a deal is that Westbrook has been benched by the Lakers — and it’s working. His minutes — and numbers, in flip — are down. However his passing and affect have been higher with Los Angeles’ second unit, and he has seemed higher in latest weeks. The Lakers are .500 since benching Westbrook and transferring Patrick Beverley or Dennis Schroder into the beginning lineup.

So the Lakers have improved and located a greater position for Westbrook, however nonetheless may not be adequate to be a title hopeful with Turner and Hield. And the 2 Pacers veterans have been glorious this season for a shocking Indiana workforce who might presumably get extra worth for the 2 gamers in different offers. There’s nonetheless loads of good sense in a deal happening, however because the season has developed, so have the optics of a deal, and there are many causes a commerce might not find yourself occurring.

Issues will maintain altering, however because the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers face off tonight, a commerce is unlikely, and it’s even much less doubtless at present than it was in October. Nonetheless, the scenario might look utterly totally different in a month if the Pacers skid of their coming video games or if the Lakers surge. Or the unlucky might occur and one of many concerned gamers might get injured. Within the NBA, something might occur between at present and the commerce deadline.