The Phoenix Suns and Indiana Pacers talked earlier this offseason about a trade of Goran Dragic and Roy Hibbert and while that didn't go down this summer, the teams could look at it again in the future, as the Suns have Isaiah Thomas, Tyler Ennis and Eric Bledsoe on the roster and Dragic could be expendable, while the Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks could be interested in Hibbert.
The Pacers likely will not make a move with Hibbert unless the team really gets off to a bad start, as they are without Paul George and he may miss the entire season. David West and George Hill came up in trade rumors this summer, but those did not go anywhere and now Indy is ready to start the season with their core intact apart from George. The team is hoping that George can return at some point this season, but it is likely that he will be out after fracturing his leg with Team USA this summer.
Hibbert came up in trade rumors over the summer according to ESPN.com and other outlets, but the Pacers did not pull the trigger on a deal. Pro Basketball Talk reported on two potential deals, with the Pistons and Greg Monroe as one option and Dragic with the Suns as another. Those rumors came up before the Paul George injury and now it's likely that the Pacers will stay put, at least until the trading deadline. Monroe is in on a one year qualifying deal and Dragic is looking to stay in Phoenix long term if he can.
The Suns want to keep Dragic, but they have Isaiah Thomas and drafted Tyler Ennis along with signing back Eric Bledsoe, meaning there may not be room for Dragic as well. The Suns want to be a fast and high powered offense and he gives them that. According to SI.com, the Pacers could be a team that trades this year, as they have Hibbert, David West and George Hill as potential options.
The Pacers window for a championship is closing and now that George is out, there is a chance this season does not go all that well and that could lead to a trade. West may go over Hibbert, as the Pacers may not want to sell low, but if Hibbert plays well during the first half he surely will come up in trade rumors.
Last season the Pacers won 56 games and ended up as the top seed in the east, but this year things likely will not go that way, as they will be without Paul George and they have also lost Lance Stephenson. The team nearly lost in the first round to the Hawks and now they have to find a way to stay in things without their best player on the floor for the season, or at least most of it. George is an All-Star and a budding superstar and now the entire plan for the Pacers over this stretch could be derailed, as the team, felt they were building towards a championship run into this year and into last season as well.
