Danny Granger's Value to the Indiana Pacers

(Courtesy of Sportsgrid.com)

    The Indiana Pacers are in an enviable place at the moment. They took a significant leap forward in their ascension towards an NBA title this past season. The team finished with a 49-32 record, good enough for the third seed in the eastern conference. In the playoffs, the Pacers managed to advance to the eastern conference finals before losing to the eventual champion Miami Heat in seven games. The team may have suffered a painful loss, falling just short of the NBA finals, but their progress is encouraging. The series against the Heat saw the Pacers make improvements as a team. Their physical, bruising style of play managed to stymie the Heat for long stretches at a time. However, when Miami went on one of their seemingly unstoppable runs, Indiana lacked the scoring punch necessary to keep up. The offensive prowess they were missing could potentially lie with Danny Granger. The Pacers can keep Granger and see if he can regain his scoring ability, or trade him for another point producer, either way the team's ability to take the next step depends on Granger.  

The Missing Piece
During the regular season, the Pacers were one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. Their combination of length and physicality carried them to the top of most of the defensive ranks in the league. According to ESPN, during the regular season the Pacers ranked first in opponents' FG% per game at 42%, second in opponents' points per game at 90.7, and was first in opponents' points per shot attempt at 1.10 points. The playoffs were a different story as the defense remained elite, but the offense was lackluster at best. Granger could potentially provide a spark to the Pacers' sluggish offense. He certainly is not the all-star player he once was a few years ago, but is still a versatile scorer capable of the occasional outburst. Granger is only two seasons removed from leading the Pacers in scoring, so he maybe 30 years old, but he still presents a viable perimeter threat the defense must respect. His familiarity with the Pacers' sets and his scoring ability could make Granger the team's best option to supplement their offense and catapult them into the NBA finals. 

The Trade Piece
The Pacers could decide that the uncertainty regarding Granger's health is too much of a risk for them to assume and be moved to trading him. His $14 Million expiring contract would be an absolute boon to a team looking to shed a large chunk of salary. If Granger proves that he can still play at a relatively high level after dealing with knee problems, his trade value can only rise. For the Pacers, the issue is what they can get in return in a potential trade for their one-time franchise player. Two teams in particular can provide the Pacers with the pieces they need in order to strike a deal for Granger.

The freshly renamed New Orleans Pelicans could prove to be a worthy and willing trade partner for the Pacers. A potential swap of Granger for embattled Pelicans guard Eric Gordon has been rumored around NBA circles for some time, but the timing makes this trade more plausible. Gordon would give the Pacers their best off-guard since Reggie Miller. He can score from anywhere on the floor, and on a team with limited perimeter options, Gordon would be a welcome addition. For the Pelicans, the trade would be as much about clearing out position logjams as well as acquiring Granger. The acquisitions of Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans this offseason have rendered Gordon redundant in the backcourt. Replacing him with Granger in the lineup would bring more balance since Evans is more of a two-guard  than a small forward, and Granger could play power forward in small ball lineups. Additionally, if he does not work out, the Pelicans would have a large expiring contract to use next offseason. 

The Gordon for Granger swap would be ideal for the Pacers, but if that seems unlikely, another team they could potentially negotiate with is the Boston Celtics. The C's are attempting to rebuild after the Big Three Era and Rajon Rondo is the last remnant of that team.  A package built around Granger for Rondo would be the starting point of a deal, and since their salaries do not exactly match, other players or draft picks would have have to be included in a trade. For the Pacers, they would get one of the top point guards in the league capable of organizing their offense and creating easy scores for Paul George, David West, and Roy Hibbert. George Hill did an admirable job last season, but the team needs more perimeter creators, and Rondo is a clear upgrade in that aspect. The deal for the Celtics is about cleaning house and clearing salary. This deal would send Rondo to a contending team capable of harnessing his surly attitude and net the Celtics a significant expiring contract which would further contribute to their rebuilding efforts. 

Granger's Fate
Chances are that Granger will remain with the Pacers for at least the first half of next season. He has had the whole offseason to recover from his knee issues, so he should be at or close to full strength by the time the season rolls around. It would behoove the Pacers to monitor him and see how he produces before they decide to ship him off to another team. As appealing as a potential trade might be, Granger is the best option to fill the scoring void the Pacers lack.  He is capable of lighting up the scoreboard and holding his own the defensive side of the court.  If Granger returns to the team healthy, and produces, then the missing piece in order to punch a ticket to the NBA finals may already be on the roster.