What the Pacers really traded Roy Hibbert for isn't just a draft pick
On the surface, it looks like the Indiana Pacers gave away center Roy Hibbert for essentially nothing. The official trade with the Los Angeles Lakers netted the Pacers only a second-round pick.
But as Pacers.com writer Mark Montieth points out, things are rarely that simple in the NBA. In reality, trading Hibbert and his eight-figure salary for next season gave Indiana the financial flexibility to re-sign Rodney Stuckey and add Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill:
None of those three players is as good individually as Hibbert is when he's playing at his best. But with the way the Pacers were headed, having the depth that all three provide is preferable to an All-Star center who appeared to be over his time in Indiana.
(h/t @MarkMontieth)
Photo Credit: Robert Mayer/USA TODAY Sports
Technically, Hibbert was traded for a 2nd-round draft pick. In reality, he was exchanged for J Hill, Budinger and Stuckey #FollowTheMoney
— Mark Montieth (@MarkMontieth) July 17, 2015
