The Indiana Pacers’ roster appears to be set in stone for the 2024-25 NBA seasonand that’s a good thing. They had a relatively quiet offseason this summer, but the Pacers management made sure to keep a few key players and restart the team next season with the same core that took them to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
This summer, the Pacers re-signed Pascal Siakam, Obi Toppin and James Johnson. In addition, they also extended Andrew Nembhard to a long-term contract. doubt their chances By repeating their winning streak from last season, the Pacers are well-equipped to prove everyone wrong once again.
However, we are still just a few months away from the start of the 2024-25 season, where there will be plenty to look forward to for the Pacers, including position battles and players who could be nearing the end of their time with the team.
In an article for Bleacher Reportwriter Grant Hughes wrote about a question that every NBA team still faces. And when it came time to write about the Pacers, Hughes asked whether Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walkers were “trade chips” rather than future franchise pieces for the team.
The idea of trading Mathurin and/or Walker is interesting but risky.
Mathurin has been with the Pacers since they selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Since then, the Arizona alum has looked like a fantastic young player with a lot of potential. In his rookie year, he averaged 16.7 points on 43.4 percent shooting. Additionally, he finished eighth in Sixth Man of the Year voting and fourth in Rookie of the Year voting.
Last season, Mathurin was shooting more efficiently and continued to show his skills as a backup, but he suffered a serious shoulder injury that forced him to miss the final month of the season, as well as the playoffs. His potential is clear, and trading him at this point is too risky for the Pacers.
As for Walker, he had a disappointing rookie season last year, but he looked solid. in the 2025 Summer League. Trading him now, like with Mathurin, is not a risk worth taking. However, if he fails to integrate into the rotation this season, it could be a legitimate option in the future, especially in exchange for a player who can help the Pacers in their quest for a title in the near future.
