The Pacers have a freshly agreed-to four-year, $45 million deal with Monta Ellis. The Pacers have also been trying to unload the final year of Roy Hibbert’s contract (which will pay him about $15.5 million) since the second he opted in on draft night. The Mavericks, Ellis’ former team, are currently chasing DeAndre Jordan, and will need a center badly if they don’t get him, having lost Tyson Chandler to Phoenix on Wednesday.
All of this adds up to Dallas and Indiana being logical sign-and-trade partners if Dallas doesn’t get Jordan, and that’s exactly what Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski says will be on the table in that case.
Sources: If Mavs miss on DeAndre Jordan, it's expected talks with Indiana on Monta Ellis-Roy Hibbert centered sign-and-trade will happen.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2015
USA Today‘s Jeff Zillgitt adds that the Knicks will also be interested in trading for Hibbert if they miss out on Jordan, whom they’re also chasing:
NBA teams that miss out on centers DeAndre Jordan and Robin Lopez will target Roy Hibbert in a trade with Pacers. That includes the Knicks.
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) July 2, 2015
Hibbert’s production has taken a serious dip in the last year and a half, but he’s still 28, and the situation between him and Indiana has gotten toxic at this point. It’s a worthwhile gamble for one of these teams that he’ll be rejuvenated in a contract year with a change of scenery.