Indiana Pacers trade rumors continue to include Roy Hibbert. The Pacers may have a trade partner in the Dallas Mavericks very soon, especially if DeAndre Jordan decides to not play in Texas. A report from CBS Sports on Thursday, July 2, indicates that the Mavericks could trade for Hibbert in an effort to replace Tyson Chandler as the starting center. It might be considered a lateral move, but the team missed out on Chandler in the pursuit of signing Jordan.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr , Tyson Chandler bolted to the Phoenix Suns when he wasn’t offered a contract extension by the Mavericks. It could turn out to be a really bad oversight by the front office in Dallas, where owner Mark Cuban may have lost a good defensive center by trying too hard in free agency. It might be that the Mavericks always saw the Pacers as a back-up plan, and that Hibbert was part of an alternate plan in case Jordan didn’t sign.
These Indiana Pacers trade rumors make it seem like the team is going into a complete rebuild mode. Though Roy Hibbert may be a bit limited on the court, his size in the low post causes a lot of problems for opponents. Last season with the Pacers, Hibbert averaged 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. He was on the court for just 25.3 minutes a night, suggesting another team might be able to get more out of him.
Hibbert is heading into his final season under his current contract with the Pacers. Under a player option, he stands to make about $15.5 million for the 2015-16 NBA season. He will then head into free agency, meaning that any team to make a deal for him won’t be tied to a long-term contract. That might just make Hibbert more enticing as other teams start to miss out on some of the big men in free agency. In fact, it’s possible the Pacers end up in an enviable position very soon.
When Greg Monroe signed with the Milwaukee Bucks and Tyson Chandler went to the Phoenix Suns, it left teams like the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers scrambling. The Knicks and Lakers could both end up surfacing in future Indiana Pacers trade rumors, especially if they are unable to sign a center from this free agent crop. Adding Roy Hibbert on a one-year deal might mean actually giving up an asset rather than helping the Pacers make a salary dump.
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