Pacers News: Proposal Projects Indiana Trades for $59 Million Defense-First Big Man

The Pacers need frontcourt help. Here's how they could get it.

Apr 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac (1) defends Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) in the second quarter during game one of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers clearly need frontcourt help.

Surprisingly, despite losing backup centers Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman for the year with season-ending Achilles tendon tears (for which they notched a pair of disabled player exceptions), the Pacers decided to sever ties with 7-foot-2 reserve Moses Brown — added to replace the absences of Jackson and Wiseman — earlier this week.

Read More: Pacers Surprisingly Waive Center Amid Frontcourt Issues

Indiana needs to shore up its defense if it has any hope of approaching its 47-35 finish to the 2023-24 season and/or its run to the Eastern Conference Finals last year? The Pacers' 118.2 opponent points allowed per game ranks it as the fifth-most generous defense in the league.

Could help be coming via a new free agent signing or a trade in the next few weeks or months?

Perhaps.

One deal that's been proposed, and could make some sense for both sides, is a trade for oft-injured Orlando Magic power forward Jonathan Isaac.

Nathaniel Holloway of The Sporting News suggests that the 10-15 Pacers offload two solid young pieces to acquire Isaac — and notes that, because of Isaac's fairly big salary and fraught injury history relative to that contract, Indiana could get some future draft equity back in the offing.

"In a possible trade, the Pacers could send Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker to Orlando for Isaac," Holloway writes. "With the Pacers taking on Isaac’s large contract, they may even be able to add a pick or two from the Magic in the deal."

Holloway does concede that health has been a major concern throughout the 27-year-old former lottery pick's career. He has appeared in just 226 career regular season games over a seven-years-and-change pro run (he's a quarter of the way through year eight).

In his 21 healthy games for the 17-9 Magic this year (already more games than he cumulatively played in three other seasons, by the way), the 6-foot-10 big man out of Florida State is averaging 6.5 points on 44.2 percent shooting from the floor and 67.9 percent foul line shooting, 4.7 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals a night, plus 0.9 defensive win shares and a 1.8 defensive box plus-minus. His 3.0 blocks per 36 minutes this year rank fifth in the league.

When Isaac is healthy, though, he is an elite defender who would make an immediate impact off the bench for the Pacers. He is also a solid scorer when given the opportunity, but the Pacers would look to him more for his defensive upside as they try to turn their season around and once again make a deep run in the playoffs.

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