A three-team NBA trade idea has the Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers all moving pieces, with Indiana landing Max Christie and Mouhamed Gueye while sending out Aaron Nesmith in the proposal.
Under the deal, the Hawks would receive Daniel Gafford, Nesmith and a 2027 second-round pick via Chicago. The Pacers would get Christie, Gueye, a 2029 second-round pick via Cleveland and a 2030 second-round pick via New York. Dallas would come away with Onyeka Okongwu.
For Indiana, the move would mean adding Christie from Dallas and Gueye from Atlanta while moving on from Nesmith. Christie put up 12.3 points per game for the Mavericks last season and shot 44.1% from the field, 40.4% from 3-point range and 89.9% at the free-throw line. He was described as a talented two-way wing.
Gueye’s season in Atlanta was more modest, but the numbers still showed a usable rotation piece. He averaged 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 45.2% from the field, 30.8% from beyond the arc and 64.5% from the line.
The trade idea comes with the Pacers still trying to build around Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac this season. Indiana brought Zubac in from the Los Angeles Clippers at last season’s trade deadline, and the trio of Zubac, Haliburton and Siakam is expected to form the Pacers’ “Big 3” in 2026-27.
Indiana’s recent path has already been shaped by its move for Zubac. The Pacers needed to finish in the top four to keep their pick after sending it to the Clippers with protections tied to that deal. The package included two of Indiana’s first-round picks for the Clippers: one in 2029 and either this year’s first if it landed outside the top four or a 2031 unprotected first-rounder if it did not.
That protection never kicked in for Indiana. Because the Washington Wizards moved up in the lottery, the Pacers dropped to fifth, and the pick went to the Clippers.
That meant Indiana missed out on the chance to draft AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson. Instead, the Pacers are now hoping Zubac can play at an All-Star level alongside Siakam and Haliburton.
Last season without Haliburton, Indiana managed only 19 wins. Siakam was a bright spot anyway, averaging 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while earning his fourth All-Star nod.
Haliburton, meanwhile, was excellent in the 2024-25 season. He averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks per game and made the All-NBA Third Team.
Across his Pacers career, Haliburton has averaged 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 10.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. He also signed a five-year, $244 million extension with Indiana in July 2023.
His contract is set to pay him $48,924,624 this season, $52,298,736 in 2027-28 and $55,672,848 in 2028-29, which is the final year of the deal.
Haliburton’s overall resume includes career averages of 17.5 points and 8.8 assists per game in the regular season and 17.9 points and 8.4 assists per game in the playoffs. For now, the Pacers are looking ahead to 2026-27 and the possibility of making another run.
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That is what makes any trade conversation in Indiana feel a little more complicated than a simple talent hunt. The Pacers continue to look for players who can adjust their usage and blend into the system, which narrows the field and makes acquisitions tougher than they might seem on paper. For a team that values fit as much as upside, the next move is as much about the right personality and role acceptance as it is about the name on the back of the jersey. [Read more 🡒]