Proposed 3-Team Trade Lands Much-Needed Help For 2 Playoff Contenders

While the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, NY Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers will once again vie for the top seeds in the Eastern Conference, there are a couple of upstart teams that will need to be dealt with seriously this season.

The Indiana Pacers already made their way to the Conference Finals last spring, while the Orlando Magic were right there in the 5-seed in the East, just three games out of 2nd spot.

So how can those two teams make the next leap into the upper echelon? Insider Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report has suggested a three-team trade that lands the pieces those two teams need. The proposal looks like this:

Orlando Magic Receive:

Dorian Finney-Smith (from Nets)
Isaiah Jackson (from Pacers)
$2 million trade exception (Caleb Houstan)

Indiana Pacers Receive:

Wendell Carter Jr. (from Magic)

Brooklyn Nets Receive:

Jarace Walker (from Pacers)
Caleb Houstan (from Magic)
$14.9 million trade exception (Finney-Smith)

In this deal, the Magic would receive the perimeter defender and potential floor-spacer they need in Finney-Smith. They are strong on bigs already, and losing Carter Jr. can be covered by the likes of Jonathan Isaac, with Paolo Banchero even possibly taking some minutes at center.

Carter, with his brute size at 6'10", 270 pounds, would make for a formidable rotation in the pivot for the Pacers, as he would back up the floor spacing, shot-blocking Myles Turner. Carter has averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in his six seasons, and he even shot a career-high 37.4% from three last year.

As for the rebuilding Nets, they get a promising youngster in Walker, the No. 8 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He'd get the chance to blossom with a full slate of minutes in Brooklyn, which he wouldn't have the chance to do with the win-now Pacers.