Indiana Pacers Trade Rumors: Will Larry Bird Blow Things Up?

Will Larry Bird blow the Indiana Pacers’ roster up at the February 19th trading deadline?

The Indiana Pacers dropped to 15-30 on the season with an 89-87 loss at the hands of the Miami Heat, and don’t look anything close to being a playoff contender. At this point in time, they look to be a lottery team and perhaps a high lottery team at that.

Larry Bird has been known to be very aggressive on the trade market, and the February 19th trade deadline is beginning to become a factor for quite a few different teams.

If the Pacers decided that they wanted to make some moves, they have the trade chips to interest some teams. David West, Roy Hibbert, George Hill, Chris Copeland, and Luis Scola are all players that could be on the move should Bird decide to go that direction. The main question, is will he actually give up any of those players even though the Pacers aren’t anything close to being a playoff contender?

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West makes the most sense to be traded, as he is aging quickly and likely wouldn’t have much of a chance to be a factor next season. He has averaged 12.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game so far this year, and would be a very nice deadline pickup for a contending team that needs a veteran presence and above average role player.

Hibbert is an expensive player for most teams, but he brings a great defensive presence and decent offense. He has averaged 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game this year, and is certainly an attractive option for contenders.

Scola and Copeland are both reserve players that aren’t likely in the Pacers’ plans past this season. They could both net something of value in return, and could be key players for teams in need of another piece or two.

That being said, Bird hasn’t shown the willingness to trade away the core of the team over the past couple of seasons. Paul George broke his leg this past offseason while playing for Team USA, and will be coming back next year at full health. As much as Bird and the Pacers may want to, they cannot afford to make another run with the current team that they have constructed.

It is time for the Pacers to move on from West and Hibbert especially, and focus on bringing in new talent to grow alongside of George. There are plenty of teams out there shopping around for players, and the Pacers could get some real value at the deadline if they decide to make a couple moves.

Expect to see Bird be busy on the phones this year at the deadline, and don’t be surprised to see a trade or two.