What the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade to the Heat means for the Pacers

Charania reported that the Celtics tried for Antetokounmpo with a package that included All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown and two first-round draft picks, but Miami ultimately had more draft capital it could move as the Bucks commit to a full rebuild.

Considering the options, the Pacers couldn’t have asked for a much better outcome. It would have been better for Indiana if the Bucks were able to ship Antetokounmpo to the Western Conference but that wasn’t on the table. Given that, it helps the Pacers that he’s out of their division, that one of their division rivals is entering a full-rebuild, and that Antetokounmpo didn’t go to Boston to build a Death Star with Jayson Tatum as the Celtics might have been able to claim the top two players in the Eastern Conference.

Miami immediately becomes a contender with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo as the center pieces, but they’re not necessarily a complete team and there’s a lot they have to do to build around those two. At some point, the Heat probably win a title with those two, but there’s still a window for the Pacers and they can compete with that group with the players they have. In a sense, they dodged a bullet in a trade discussion they weren’t involved in.

Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Giannis Antetokounmpo trade: Why it helps the Pacers