Indiana Pacers set for a rebuild, how does it impact the OKC Thunder?

What an exciting day, there is a pep in every NBA fan’s step this morning on their way to their coffee maker to brew that first cup of coffee on this cold Oklahoma December Day, it is officially…trade season! The OKC Thunder, the NBA at large, turn their sight to a new landmark as we continue to hurl through this season, the February 10th trade deadline.

One detour on the way to the ever-exciting deadline is December 15th a date that all contracts become eligible to be dealt for those that signed a deal this offseason. As we inch closer to next week’s milestone the rumors have already begun to swirl. I’m an NBA junkie and keep Woj and Shams Twitter notifications on year-round, but if you are a more rational person and turn them off from time to time, now is a time to reactive those dings to your phone.

The biggest rumor of late is the Indiana Pacers signaling they are finally ready to rebuild, or at least reset, their roster. What has been long-awaited by NBA fans, still comes as a shock considering this offseason included hiring Rick Carlisle and drafting a 24-year-old rookie, not exactly forward-thinking moves.

What the Indiana Pacers rebuild means for the OKC Thunder

Of course, when any player becomes available (and I mean any player) the Oklahoma City Thunder fanbase takes to Social Media, and the NBA Trade Machine, to figure out ways for Sam Presti to land the new NBA prize.

That is the case for most NBA fanbase, but it is especially common for OKC Thunder fans as the organization hoards draft picks and is attempting to rebuild this roster to championship contention.

In this case, the Thunder have a special attachment to one of the players on the trading block, Domantas Sabonis. The eventual two-time All-Star began his career in Oklahoma City, where he played 81-games and witnessed Russell Westbrook‘s historic season before being dealt away to Indiana for Paul George.

Sabonis was a fan favorite in his short time in OKC, everyone saw his raw potential and basketball ability but that was the issue, he was too raw for a Russell Westbrook-led team that wanted to win now.

The 25-year-old forward is averaging 17-points, 12-rebounds, and four assists per game on 57-percent shooting from the floor, 27-percent from deep, and 76-percent at the line this season.

Everyone would welcome Sabonis back with open arms as he is not a free agent until 2024 and fits stylistically what the OKC Thunder would like to do. The Thunder have no shortage of draft assets, but where things break against OKC is if Indiana wants tangible assets along with picks. The Thunder lack sweeteners to throw into deals.

The Oklahoma City Thunder also struggle with balancing the timing on these moves. While in general, Sabonis is likely one of the best options this stockpile of draft picks with no sweeteners might be able to land Sam Presti, the organization has not been shy in saying, and restating they are in no rush and will not skip steps.

Domantas Sabonis would be a huge upgrade, fit in well and help grow Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and this organization, but how much of an upgrade is Sabonis? Making this current team closer to the play-in tournament and further away from the top of the 2022 NBA Draft, would do more harm than good.

This feels like a classic case of “right person, wrong time” when it comes to the Thunder hopping into trade talks for any of the Pacer outcasts.

So how does this move impact the Oklahoma City Thunder? The Pacers currently sit seventh in the reverse standings, just three wins better than OKC. With the Pacers falling away in the second half, the competition for the top overall pick grows. The Thunder, Magic, Pistons, Rockets, Spurs, and the Zion-Less Pelicans are getting some company.

As we saw last year with Aleksej Pokusevski‘s huge game against the Clippers, a coin flip, and broken dreams on Lottery Night, even in the reverse standings every game matters, and every time trading to win the lottery matters.