Pacers Being Linked to $22M Star Wing Ahead of Trade Deadline: Report

Matt Levine | Jan 5, 2025

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers are expected to be very active ahead of the NBA trade deadline next spring. As the team continues to build upon their strong play of late, they are now a team to watch before the deadline.

And according to NBA insider Marc Stein, Indiana is a "team to watch" in a potential trade for Brooklyn Nets wing Cameron Johnson. Stein wrote about the interest from the Pacers in his latest column.

The Nets seem to be in a firesale and have already made a few moves. They traded guard Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors and Dorian Finney-Smith to the Los Angeles Lakers.

If the Pacers want to be more competitive in the Eastern Conference, a move for Johnson could be the answer. Johnson would give them a sharpshooting wing presence who can also play strong defense.

For the year, Johnson has averaged 19.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Johnson is also shooting 43.6 percent from beyond the 3-point line this season.

It would take some draft capital to land Johnson but it could be worth it. Johnson is exactly the type of player that Indiana could use to get over the hump.

The Pacers have been playing much better of late and are coming off a big blowout win over the Phoenix Suns. Center Myles Turner weighed in on what has changed, admitting that the team has started to care more on the defensive end.

"We're starting to care more," Turner said. "We went through a stretch last season where we kept on saying the same thing, 'We gotta defend, we gotta defend.' But I think now we're putting those words into actions."

The Pacers have been playing more selflessly and it has led to wins. With the recent success, it seems more likely that they could make a splash ahead of the deadline.

This is a team that just reached the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago and they want to find more success. It won't be easy but being aggressive at the trade deadline could be the difference between more playoff wins or an early exit.

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