The Indiana Pacers made the biggest move of the 2014 NBA Trade Deadline, sending small forward Danny Granger and a second-round draft pick to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for swingman Evan Turner and power forward Lavoy Allen, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
As many of you know (or not), I'm an Indiana Pacers fan. I remember the post-Reggie Miller years when Danny Granger was the leader of this team. He carried this squad and was a scoring machine, becoming the Most Improved Player and an All-Star in 2009.
It's one of the many reasons why he is one of my all-time favorite Pacers and NBA players, so it really got to me to see him gone. But the NBA is a business and it was a move Indiana had to make.
Adding Turner provides depth for the Pacers, in addition with Allen. Turner is also a solid backup plan in case Lance Stephenson does not re-sign during the 2014 free agency period.
Many point to the fact that his stats are inflated, but seeing how he performed on one of the worst teams in the NBA, it isn't all that bad. The major question will be how he will perform in the type of system Indiana has.
As for the Sixers, they may buy out Granger's contract. It may spell danger for other teams if that happens, because championship contenders like the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers and even the Miami Heat could scoop him up. Not a good sign for the Pacers, especially if Granger ends up going to the team's East rival in South Beach.
Overall, I'm sad about the Granger trade, but I understand why it was made. I hope he does well for the rest of his career, because he deserves it. For the majority of his career, he dealt with playing on mediocre Pacers teams and now with a chance to maybe win a ring, he gets traded. Tough luck.
https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/status/436612009577418752
It also hits home for other Pacers fans with Orlando Johnson, a fan-favorite. Johnson, the second-year shooting guard, was waived on Thursday as well after the Granger trade was made.
All in all, I will never forget what my boy Granger did for this team. I hope he pans out well for the remaining of his NBA career. After all, he was the first ever celebrity/athlete to have an interaction with me on Twitter...
https://twitter.com/JoshDhani/status/436645794188247040
