The Indiana Pacers have continued to impress after a rough beginning to the 2024-25 season, and their most recent 123-114 victory against the defending champion Boston Celtics in enemy territory places the team as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Following their win in a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals from one season ago, Indiana’s potential to be a dark horse contender in the East began to gain momentum.
The Pacers shined on both ends of the floor, shooting 52.9% from the field and holding the Celtics to just 29.6% accuracy from three-point range on 54 attempts.
Their victory against Boston improved the team’s record to 16-17 and marked win No. 7 in their last 10 contests, but their dark horse status may not just relate to their ability to compete for a title.
That label could also translate to future transactions, as their general manager Chad Buchanan may inquire about a former Sixth Man of the Year candidate and sharpshooting forward from the Brooklyn Nets, Cameron Johnson.
This season, the 28-year-old Johnson is proving to be one of the most efficient wings in the entire NBA, averaging 19.1 points on a blistering 42.9% clip from distance and a 61.4% effective field goal percentage.
As the former No. 11 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft to the Phoenix Suns, Johnson quickly proved his worth as a complementary piece on a winning team, playing a major role in the Suns’ journey to the 2021 NBA Finals.
In what could be a perfect opportunity for the Pacers, Brooklyn is looking to ship Johnson and all other valuable assets away to collect first-round draft capital.
This fire sale began when the team let go of point guard Dennis Schröder on Dec. 15, and continued in the form of a trade sending veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon.
Targeting Johnson could be of great importance to Indiana, as the versatile two-way forward could have an impact on the Pacers’ 115.4 defensive rating, currently ranking as the No. 23 defense in the league.
Indiana’s All-Star point guard and gifted passer Tyrese Haliburton would also be supplied with a career 39.7% three-point shooter who is also connecting on an unbelievable 50.0% of his three-point attempts from the corners this season.
Johnson’s time in Brooklyn has allowed him to grow even more as an all-around scoring threat, giving the Pacers all the more reason to trade for the 6-foot-8 combo forward.
In a possible deal, Brooklyn would likely seek first-round draft compensation along with a promising prospect like Jarace Walker or Ben Sheppard.
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