Wizards Draft: Potential Draft Night Trade Partners

Potential Wizards Trade Partner: Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers got aggressive about their rebuild before this past season’s trade deadline. That was when they shipped big man Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings for a package based around rising point guard Tyrese Haliburton.

While the Wizards would love to get Haliburton to pair in their backcourt next to Bradley Beal, that isn’t happening. Still, his presence on the Pacers could be something the WIzards benefit from if they decide to target Malcolm Brogdon.

Brogdon, 29 years old, doesn’t exactly fit the direction the Pacers are focused on going in. Getting assets for him now makes more sense than waiting around. That is especially true given his injury history.

If the Wizards decide Brogdon is worth the risk, a deal involving the tenth overall pick seems to make sense for both parties. The Pacers would be hard-pressed to get a higher pick in return and the Wizards are desperate to give Beal a backcourt partner of Brogdon’s caliber.

Assuming the Wizards interest, it’s easy to see a partnership between the two teams. The Pacers already have the sixth overall pick in the draft, so adding the tenth selection would give them a ton of lottery ammo.

The Wizards, meanwhile, would be adding the exact type of guard Beal said the team needs to add this offseason. Both guards can play off-ball and can get it done with the ball in their hands. Brogdon is a  career 37.6 percent shooter from behind the arc, which makes him a huge upgrade from some of the guards Beal has played with in recent seasons.

If the two teams could hammer out the details of a trade (the Wizards would likely need a little bit back to even things out on their side), we could very well see these two franchises make a splash trade on the night of the draft.

The Wizards would need to send some money back to the Pacers, while the Pacers might need to add a light asset or two to finalize a deal.