The Indiana Pacers have shopped a trade for Roy Hibbert this offseason and while a deal is not close, teams like the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets could be potential destinations, as Indy is looking to upgrade at point guard and they could try and replace George Hill while making this move with Hibbert.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, Hibbert still has $30.4 million left on his deal and the Pacers have "quietly shopped him this summer in deals, but no trade is imminent. Hibbert has been working out this offseason with a Hall of fame player and the team is hoping that he can add a bit to his repertoire if he stays in Indy, as he showed signs of being a dominant center over the past couple years. Marc Stein also reports that the Pacers are "dreaming" about a trade for Goran Dragic, as they see him as a great upgrade over George Hill at point guard.
The Pacers lost Lance Stephenson in free agency after making him an offer of five-years, $44 million and he signed with the Hornets and that could be a big loss for the team. Stephenson mentally was a mess and maybe broke the locker room a bit, but he also set career highs in nearly every category and was developing into the player the Pacers had hoped he would be. The three year deal is worth $27 million and the Pacers responded by adding Rodney Stuckey as a free agent, signing him to a one year deal after he averaged 13.9 points for the Pistons last season.
The Pacers started off the season better than anyone in the eastern conference, but post All-Star break they were a mess and while Lance Stephenson was part of that, so was the play of Roy Hibbert and that is one reason why he has been mentioned in trade rumors. Hibbert signed a contract with the team a few years ago and was looking like one of the best centers in the league and while he still may be that, clearly he has lost some value after the way he performed in the postseason.
Last year the Pacers won the eastern conference but they had to play seven games against the Atlanta Hawks and also had a little trouble with the Wizards and eventually made it through. The team lost again to the Miami Heat and even with LeBron James gone, Indy felt like they missed an opportunity to get to the finals and now they may try and get something for Hibbert. The team wants to upgrade over George Hill at point guard and while they signed Rodney Stuckey, they could try and flip Hibbert for a better PG.
Last season the Pacers won 56 games and were the top team in the east and now they have some major competition with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls. The team was second in overall defense by points per game, but they were 24th in scoring and they need more on offense. Hibbert is a very good player, but after he had some zero performances in the playoffs, he could be moved at some point.
