The Indiana Pacers have been the best team in the east this season and after adding Andrew Bynum before the trading deadline, the team could look to make more deals and players like Kyle Lowry, Gary Neal, Terrence Ross, Jason Smith, Jared Dudley and Evan Turner are in the mix and names like Danny Granger or Chris Copeland could be used in one of those trades.
Granger has been mentioned in trade rumors since last season since he has an expiring contract and has been coming off of a serious injury, while Copeland signed over from the Knicks in the offseason and he is an attractive option for teams as well. According to USA Today, the Pacers are looking for a secondary option in the trade market and that makes names like Lowry, Gary Neal and Jared Dudley interesting, as they could add depth to a team that is already very deep and skilled.
The biggest weakness for the team right now is at point guard with George Hill and as the deadline gets closer, they could be more motivated to make a deal. The Pacers made a smart trade in the offseason for Luis Scola and they have already added Bynum after he was released by the Chicago Bulls and now they are looking like the only team that can beat the Miami Heat in the east. Many felt that the team would have won the eastern conference finals last season had they been the home court advantage team and that is one reason why they have been motivated to stay in the top of the east.
Miami is still very good, but if the Pacers add another solid option to the roster, they could overtake the Heat and with Roy Hibbert, Scola and David West up front, the team already has the frontcourt advantage. The team is ranked first in defense this season and sixth in rebounding and adding someone like Neal or Lowry could make them the favorites overall in the NBA. The Bucks are reportedly looking to trade Neal and he should be a prime target for playoff teams after his experiences with the Spurs, while the Raptors have shown that they are willing to trade after moving Rudy Gay and names like Ross or Lowry could be next after there were rumors that the point guard would get traded to the Knicks earlier in the season.
The Clippers are looking to move Dudley before the deadline and the Pelicans could be a team to trade with the Pacers, as they need a big man to replace Ryan Anderson and Copeland could fit that mold and the team could take back Jason Smith or Anthony morrow in return. The addition of Bynum changes things for the Pacers and Granger is the top player to get moved, as he has a big deal at $14 million that will be coming off of the books next season and that could motivate teams to try and snag his expiring deal.
