Hoosier State of Mind
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Indiana Basketball: 3 possible trade destinations for Victor Oladipo

By Trevor Gersmehl

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 18: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Denver Nuggets during the second quarter in Game One of the Western Conference Finals during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on September 18, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 18: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Denver Nuggets during the second quarter in Game One of the Western Conference Finals during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on September 18, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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The Indiana Pacers are left reeling after suffering a miserable defeat in the playoffs, getting swept by the Miami Heat in the first round. The Pacers are now looking for a new head coach after firing Nate McMillan, and the roster is one of the most likely to experience drastic change over the offseason.

Victor Oladipo’s future with the team is now in jeopardy because of this impending change. The former IU star has been with the Pacers since 2017 and was awarded the Most Improved Player Award in his first year back in the Hoosier state. At his best, Oladipo is a disruptive player who wrecks the opposing team’s best players on defense all while averaging 20+ points per game.

However, Oladipo has suffered several bad injuries, including a ruptured quad which caused him to miss almost a year of action. There are questions about whether or not he can return to his All-NBA caliber of play.

The Indiana Pacers ownership group is one of the most frugal in the NBA, and after paying Malcolm Brogdan, Myles Turner, and Domantas Sabonis, they may not be interested in paying a player with as ambiguous a future as Oladipo. On top of that, the Pacers actually performed quite well during their star shooting guard’s absence due to injury. At the same time, some contenders may be looking at Oladipo as a guy who could take their team up a notch and be the final piece of the puzzle to a championship run.

The intersection of both these factors sends the signal that a trade may be in order soon. Hence, we will be looking at a few of the teams who may trade for Victor Oladipo. To maintain some semblance of logic through this speculation, I have put each trade through the ESPN trade machine.

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