The Golden State Warriors have the possibility to make an surprising commerce with the Indiana Pacers this winter.
Golden State is off to a shocking 9-2 begin to the 2024-25 marketing campaign. Stephen Curry is taking part in like an MVP and the Warriors are having enjoyable once more.
Buddy Hield has injected some much-needed taking pictures into the Warriors post-Klay Thompson, and maybe Golden State ought to double down on their taking part in fashion by buying and selling for an additional elite shooter on the wing.
You’d suppose the Indiana Pacers taking pictures guard Bénédict Mathurin is taken into account nearly untouchable by the Indiana entrance workplace, however the Warriors might tempt the Pacers by dangling Jonathan Kuminga’s expiring contract and a first-round draft choose.
Except the Pacers really feel like they are a contender proper now (they are not), it might behoove them to proceed constructing throughout a interval the place the Boston Celtics will look extra susceptible – maybe in three years previous, whereas Tyrese Haliburton will enter his prime.
Whereas Mathurin, 22, might very effectively issue into that future for Indiana, he’ll want an enormous payday in the summertime of 2026.
With Haliburton getting max cash by 2029, the Pacers could be smart to not hand out an enormous quantity to a different guard throughout that point (for the sake of roster stability).
Indiana could be higher off with high quality, cheaper rotation guards like Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith as complementary off-ball gamers to Haliburton over the following three to 4 years, leaving some open house for the wings and the massive ones.
Nesmith is below contract by 2027 and Nembhard by 2028, each receiving advantageous offers for what they convey to the desk.
Given the above, Indiana might have incentive to ship Mathurin to Golden State for Kuminga’s contract expiration and a first-round choose.
The Pacers might then toy with the concept of retaining tremendous athletic winger Kuminga by paying him this summer season what they’d have paid Mathurin a yr later (or much less).
Indiana has a heavy guard and will use a man like Kuminga to compete with Boston defensively.
Extra NBA: Celtics anticipated to commerce younger guard to Clippers for $11 million
