Indiana Pacers: Why Indiana Should Trade David West
The Indiana Pacers season thus far hasn’t quite been what fans were hoping for following Indiana’s exit in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Even after Paul George’s August 1st injury, many believed that Indiana would still be competitive among the eastern conference’s middle-of-the-road teams.
Unfortunately, the Pacers’ season to this point has been lackluster at best. With any type of late season run unlikely, it’s time for Larry Bird and the Pacers front office to build for George’s return to the floor. It is because of this that trading David West is a move that warrants evaluation.
Since he signed with Indiana back in 2011, David West has had a considerable impact both on the court and in the locker room. At this point, though, with many changes on the horizon for next year, and the years to come, now is the perfect time get as much value for West as possible before his contract expires this summer.
As the team stands right now, there are a variety of clear needs that the Pacers need to address.
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With David West likely to retire after the conclusion of this season, there’s a big hole at the power forward position. While Lavoy Allen has greatly increased his value with his quality play this year, Luis Scola has begun to show his age through his lack of consistency, not to mention that Scola’s contract also expires this summer.
The shooting guard position is also in need of some upgrading. C.J. Miles and Rodney Stuckey are both exceptional players that bring good things to the Pacers, but neither represent a stellar sidekick to Paul George. Stuckey frequently gives quality minutes off of the pine, but his age presents an interesting issue. It is unlikely that he can contribute at a high level for much longer. On the other hand, C.J. Miles has played fairly well in the starting lineup this year, but he has lacked the consistency needed to be regarded as a formidable wingman for Paul.
With Roy Hibbert’s career on the decline in Indianapolis, it may also be wise for Indiana to seek out potential centers to fill the defensive void he may leave behind in the future.
David West’s market value is not going to get any higher than it is right now, but it can certainly drop. West, who is currently 34 years old, is on the backstretch of his high quality career and offers little to Indiana moving forward. Earlier in the year, West noted that he hadn’t intended on accepting his player option this offseason, as he is eying retirement.
West has been an exceptional member of the Pacers squad during his tenure here, but it’s time to both sides to go their separate ways. West certainly doesn’t want to end his career with a season as disappointing as this one has been, and Indiana needs to surround Paul George with as many quality players as possible to get the team back on top in the East.