The Indiana Pacers have been the best team in the east all season and heading into Christmas Day they have the best record in the conference and while the team is as deep as anyone in the NBA, there is always a chance that Larry Bird could pull off the Danny Granger deal everyone thinks he will and one option could be the NY Knicks after the injuries and start they have had.
The Knicks have been mentioned in a number of trade rumors already with names like Kyle Lowry and Kenneth Faried, but a Granger deal could be an option if the team continues to struggle and also if the injuries to Raymond Felton and Carmelo Anthony continue to crop up. The Knicks have been one of the most inconsistent and disappointing teams in the NBA this season and that is one of the main reasons why James Dolan could end up pulling the trigger on a deal. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Pacers aren't currently shopping Granger, but now that he has returned to the lineup after missing all but five games since last season, teams could be looking at him as a target, especially because he has an expiring contract.
The main reason that the Pacers would possibly trade Granger is the fact that they could add even more depth to a roster that has a lot of it and also because the team has Lance Stephenson playing so well this season. Last year the Pacers made it to the eastern conference finals against the Miami Heat and took the series to seven games and they did it without Granger and that led the the breaking out of Stephenson and could lead to the Pacers dealing Granger. Larry Bird has said that Granger doesn't work out enough during the offseason and talk like that would make it not a surprise if he got dealt eventually.
The Pacers played against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center on Monday and they will host the team again on Saturday and they have a nice break leading into Christmas. The Miami Heat play the LA Lakers on Wednesday and that is a big game and the Pacers continue to play very well on defense, ranking first in the NBA in points allowed per game.
Granger is averaging just under six points per game so far this season and he played in 22 minutes against the Houston Rockets in his first game before playing 25 and 15 against the Boston Celtics and Nets. Granger had five points in his debut and 12 points against the Celtics, while he went o-fer against the Nets with seven missed field goals.
