Pacers Should Deal For Terrence Ross Before Deadline
As reported by Jared Wade of 8points9seconds.com, the Toronto Raptors have expressed a willingness to include guard/forward Terrence Ross in a deal for the Indiana Pacers‘ David West, at the right price.
The rumors were originally reported by Zach Lowe of Grantland, but with the NBA trade deadline approaching us this Thursday (Feb. 19), you have to begin to wonder what Larry Bird and the Pacer’s front office have up their sleeve.
After all, Bird and co. have shown they aren’t shy about making a big trade or two. On July 27, 2013 the Pacers sent forward Gerald Green, center Miles Plumlee, and a 2014 lottery-protected first-round draft pick to the rebuilding Phoenix Suns to acquire forward Luis Scola.
And who could forget February 20th of last year, mere minutes before the deadline, when Larry Bird dealt long-time Pacers veteran Danny Granger to the Philadelphia 76ers for forwards Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen?
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If the Pacers are smart, they’ll make the right moves to acquire Terrence Ross, even if it does include trading away West, who has been the heart and soul of this Pacers squad all season long.
David West is in the middle of his 12th season in his NBA career at 34 years old and has previously considered retirement in past years, most notably after Paul George suffered his leg injury this past summer.
In an interview with the Indy Star, West said…
"I was telling guys then, if we had won the championship (in 2013), I probably would have walked away. When Paul got hurt I was sorta like ‘damn!’"
David West knew that the Pacers’ door of opportunity to win the NBA championship had slammed shut, and that it would be a long, grueling season with Paul George out for most of it.
However, with recent reports of the Pacers’ star player likely making a return before the regular season’s end, it is still a fog in terms of whether Indiana can make a run at the post-season or not. They currently sit two games behind the Miami Heat for the Eastern Conference’s eight playoff seed at 21-33. With the likely return of Paul George coming some time in mid-March, there is hope that his presence could be enough to get Indiana that eight spot come mid-April.
What some people fail to realize is that with Paul George’s return, there will be a period of adjustment. Paul George will have to adjust to the feeling of playing an actual NBA game with contact, and not just those shoot-around drills that he’s been used to the last four months.
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In short, even amid the hope, there is still uncertainty as to whether the Pacers can make the playoffs. At the end of the day, I just don’t see the Pacers getting the job done and getting to the post-season, with or without Paul George.
With David West scheduled to make $12.6 million next season, given his age and hunger to compete for a championship, Larry Bird should be doing whatever it takes to acquire a young, up-and-coming Terrence Ross to accompany Paul George, even at the cost of West.
This is a move that could potentially make the Pacers legitimate contenders down the road. They need to focus more on the 2017-2018 season, rather than championship dreams for 2014-2015 season.
If I’m Larry Bird, I’m getting the phone dialed, and I’m doing it fast.