- Here’s a list of the biggest Indiana Pacers trades in franchise history.
- Mark Jackson leads the list of players Indiana received through trade.
- Other notable players the Pacers acquired were Jermaine O’Neal, Victor Oladipo, and Tyrese Haliburton.
Among the NBA teams that have never won a championship is the Indiana Pacers. They have been in the league since 1976, but they were only able to reach the NBA Finals once in 2000, where they were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers, led by the duo of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in six games.
Because of their inconsistency, Indiana is one of the lowest teams in basketball odds. The star power of Reggie Miller, George McGinnis, Paul George, Rik Smits, and David West was not enough to bring them to the promised land. However, the franchise has demonstrated its ability to acquire players via trade. Here are the four biggest trades in team history.
Mark Jackson
Indiana’s first major trade acquisition happened in the 1990s when they pursued a player that significantly helped their chances of winning a title and solidified their status as a legitimate championship contender.
One of the best point guards in Pacers team history was Mark Jackson, who was acquired via trade with the Clippers in 1994. Along with Jackson, Indiana also received Greg Minor for Pooh Richardson, Malik Sealy, and Eric Piatkowski. Jackson filled the void of the Pacers’ point guard position and helped them reach the Eastern Conference finals in 1995.
The 6-foot-1 floor general was briefly traded to the Nuggets in 1996, but the team got him back in 1997, which resulted in an NBA Finals appearance in 2000. Jackson’s 8.4 points, 8.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 405 games for Indiana weren’t necessarily eye-popping, but his playmaking provided stability during his five-and-a-half-year tenure.
Jermaine O’Neal
In 2000, right after their NBA Finals loss, Indiana let go of All-Star Dale Davis and acquired Jermaine O’Neal and Joe Kleine from Portland. O’Neal was the 17th overall pick of the Portland Trail Blazers during the 1996 NBA Draft, but he became a second-string center. Upon arriving on the team, the 6-foot-11 big man became the main option inside the paint and anchored the defense.
“J.O.” spearheaded Indiana’s six successive postseason campaigns from 2001 to 2006, where they almost punched a ticket to the NBA Finals in 2004 by reaching the Eastern Conference finals. O’Neal’s numbers as a Pacer were 18.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in 514 games across eight seasons.
Victor Oladipo
The Paul George era in Indiana was officially over in 2017 after the team dealt him to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Victor Oladpio and Domantas Sabonis in a blockbuster. Many believed that the Pacers would go into full rebuild mode, but Oladipo proved it wrong by leading the team’s offense en route to three successive playoff appearances.
2013’s second overall pick had a breakout season during the 2017-18 season with his team-high 23.1 points average. He had this success for two seasons and became an All-Star in 2018 and 2019. However, injuries prevented the 6-foot-3 guard from fully becoming a superstar, as he finished his tenure in Indiana with averages of 20.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 139 games.
Tyrese Haliburton
Indiana’s most recent massive trade was the acquisition of Tyrese Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings in February 2022. Aside from Haliburton, Indiana also received Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson for Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, and a second-round pick. The 6-foot-5 point guard became their primary scorer and playmaker.
OFFICIAL: We have acquired Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 second-round pick.
Learn more » https://t.co/mdUoSga2Ff pic.twitter.com/rChcc3BfC7
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) February 9, 2022
Halliburton’s 20.7 points, 10.4 assists, and 3.7 rebounds average were enough to secure a spot in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. The former 12th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft also inked a four-year $260 million max contract extension with the team, which made him an exclusive member of NBA players with a $200 million contract.
EXTENDED.
we have signed All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton to a contract extension.
🔗 https://t.co/Oij3ANKqbF pic.twitter.com/PUa4GfaGw7
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) July 6, 2023
4 Biggest Indiana Pacers Trades
| Year | Player Acquired | Trade Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Mark Jackson | Pacers received: Mark Jackson and Greg Minor / Clippers received: Pooh Richardson, Malik Sealy, and Eric Piatkowski |
| 2000 | Jermaine O’Neal | Pacers received: Jermaine O’Neal and Joe Kleine / Trail Blazers received: Dale Davis |
| 2017 | Victor Oladipo | Pacers received: Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis / Thunder received: Paul George |
| 2022 | Tyrese Haliburton | Pacers received: Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson / Kings received: Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, and a second-round pick |
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