Once touted as a top 3 centers in the NBA, Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert seems to be falling out of the rankings for his head-scratching and inconsistent performance in the 2014 NBA playoffs after spurts of dominance in the regular season that garnered him a second All-Star selection. Now Hibbert's future with the Pacers is in question, as Indiana has reportedly been exploring options to trade him.
Sean Deveney of Sporting News reported Sunday that the Pacers have "quietly" sought to ship Hibbert out of town, citing multiple sources. The following testimony is from an NBA general manager:
"They're open to making major changes, if they're there...I think they'd be disappointed to see that same core group back intact, so it is a matter of, how drastic can the changes they make be? Moving Hibbert for multiple pieces would be a pretty drastic change, but they're asking."
Given how shaky Hibbert was in the playoffs, it will be interesting to see whether he can regain the trust of the Pacers' management.
Deveney's report indicates that a potential Hibbert trade to the Portland Trail Blazers is "unlikely," since Portland is focused on retaining frontcourt stalwart LaMarcus Aldridge long term. One source indicated that the Pacers prefer to send Hibbert to the Western Conference.
Even before Hibbert's befuddling performance in the playoffs, he publicly criticized his teammates for being selfish which might have caused the team's breakdown during the 2013-14 regular season. Hibbert backtracked and attempted to reconcile in April, per ESPN.com:
"You know, I think that I should've kept my frustrations to myself or just in the locker room. I will admit that it wasn't the best thing to do. I'll learn from that, and I was wrong. There are better ways to handle that than going to the media. All in all, I learned. I talked to my teammates; they talked to me. I'm willing to accept the criticism. It wasn't the best thing to do."
What do you think readers? Will Hibbert be able to bounce back next season? Will he be in a Pacers or Blazers uniform? Sound off in the comments section below!
