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IND receives: PG Kemba Walker
CHA receives: PG Aaron Holiday, PF TJ Leaf, SF Doug McDermott, 2019 First Round Pick, 2021 Second Round Pick
The 28-14 Pacers are in sole possession of third place in the Eastern Conference standings, which has been a shock to many. At the deadline, Charlotte may get antsy and decide to deal Kemba Walker, fearing that he may not re-sign. To acquire the star lead guard, Indiana would have to deal a young trio of potentially good future players and two draft picks. The Pacers have shown they’re able to (temporarily) win without Oladipo, but adding Walker with this return would create one of the league’s scariest backcourts and make Indiana a potential favorite in the East. Even though Walker is possibly a rental, the Pacers could elect to win immediately.
For Charlotte, they acquire three promising young players who have all shown flashes of good potential. A first and second round pick is thrown into the pot as a sweetener to make sure that the Hornets accept the deal. If Walker plans to re-sign, there may be virtually no chance that Charlotte even considers this, but if not, a slew of young prospects and a draft pick may be enough in return for a star whose contract is about to expire.