I can just hear it now from those still celebrating the Indiana University National Championship or even preparing to watch the Super Bowl. Why are you talking about the Indiana Pacers?
Seriously, you old school curmudgeon, what does your opinion even matter in a year in which the Blue and Gold, while decimated with injuries, are residing near the bottom of the Eastern Conference?
Well, I would contend the business of basketball is never-ending, and when you’re constantly attempting to upgrade your roster, it’s imperative to get value in return when moving assets.
While the Pacers would love to keep him, the reality is Benedict Mathurin is a restricted free agent and his employer needs a true center, so it would seem relatively easy to connect the dots.
Simply trade a player who has some value for the pivot player you desire, and it seems like everyone wins.
However, in today’s NBA there can be a number of nuances involving a trade, especially one you’d rather not make. Yes, the Pacers would like Mathurin’s Zip Code to remain the same (albeit at their price), but time is running out, as the trading deadline is Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. E.T.
They really can’t kick the can down the road and have no interest in paying him near market value, so the trade option makes sense to a guy like me who’s never called the shots for an NBA Team.
Despite that obvious gap in my resume, I do indeed have a rather good memory and recall Myles Turner burning rubber for a bigger payday, leaving the Pacers with nothing to show for him and a touch of egg on their collective executive faces.
Sure, there’s a difference in an unrestricted free agent’s and a restricted player’s contract, but there’s no sense delaying the inevitable in terms of moving a guy who has value to obtain a piece that you can work right in to the lineup for next season.
Mathurin is clearly a desirable asset and should be in the starting lineup soon for another team in the NBA.
The Pacers learned the hard way with Turner, and they apparently have targeted a couple of players they feel can help them improve their roster at the center position, so why wait longer to move an asset you no longer want to pay market value for?
Danny Bridges, who thinks Benedict Mathurin is going to get a big-time raise, can be reached at (317) 370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com
