1. Indiana Pacers
Even if a Buddy Hield trade gets shot down, the Pacers could be a viable Toronto trade partner. No matter how they try to spin their recent moves, they are firmly in the rebuilding tier. The Raptors could give a younger squad more vets that can provide depth.
The Malcolm Brogdon trade will likely only net Indiana one or two high-level NBA players if Aaron Nesmith develops. A team led by Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner is likely not ready for a deep playoff run. Helping the youngsters grow with these two vets would be a nice pivot.
The Pacers would do well to acquire Khem Birch, Svi Mykhailiuk.
The Raptors could be interested in a player like TJ McConnell in trade talks. A feisty defender who can run the bench unit as the backup point guard, McConnell could be moved if Indiana wants to get backups for Turner and Buddy Hield.
This trade wouldn’t necessarily send Indiana into a complete tailspin, but they can fill out the back half of a roster that was shown to be paper-thin last year. With some added responsibility in terms of their volume of shots, Svi and Khem could get themselves back to their 2021 levels of production.