The Indiana Pacers are going to torpedo the Durant trade 3 days from this post.

This is my Windhorstian attempt to connect some lines, I’ve been thinking this all week, and keep arriving at the same thought:
The Indiana Pacers are going to torpedo the Durant trade 3 days from this post.

Let me start with a question: Are the Pacers interested in Ayton at all?

They have turner, why would they want Ayton? Well, there were tweets, some with sources, and some without that confirm, before the haliburton trade, the Pacers and suns had discussed a Sabonis for Ayton deal around the deadline. So we know there was interest at some point. And trading Sabonis for Ayton would put the Pacers back in the same boat they were for the last couple of years, having 2 Centers too good to not see floor time, forcing one of them to play as a stretch 4. Now getting Ayton would create the same thing, so one would have to come to this conclusion: Since the deadline, the Pacers have been ready to move on from Turner. I say this as a Pacers fan, I've seen his name in rumors since he walked off the stage at the draft, but I think they're comfortable moving on. Beyond this, I have seen the countless Sign and Trade Ayton for Turner proposals online, and I'll say this, they aren't bad. I think there was enough smoke around the idea that the Pacers and Suns had a framework in place to do that move Turner for Ayton in a S&T. But then Durant wanted out and it broke everything.

So, angered, the Pacers decided to screw the S&T and do things themselves.

Let me ask you another question: Why would Indiana, trade Malcolm Brogdon, Now?

They had all offseason, yeah he was rumored to go around the draft, but why now? Think of it, in this standoff across the league, where most teams have been re signing and extending current players, why would Brogdon be moved NOW? His value was already low, we know that, he could've been traded at any point this offseason, but why now? and why didn't a player of note go over in the trade? Theis is a nice player sure, but not for a rebuilding team. And Nesmith might have a hard time filling the roster. The answer to why now is this: to create 4 Million in cap space (once Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan and Nik Stauskas are cut). Post this trade, the Pacers build up an even bigger trade exception and more importantly create Cap space of 31 million, enough for a Max Contract. The Pacers can now sign Ayton to a max contract, without sacrificing a dime. It's not the homegrown rookie max, but it is enough, and its more than the suns can afford to do. If they pull that off, they can flip turner for a first, and walk into the 2023 draft with 4 first rounders, and a core who is all under the age of 25 of Haliburton, Mathurin, Duarte, Jackson, and Ayton.

Let me ask you another question: Why haven't we seen a move yet?

The 48-hour matching period for RFAs old teams doesn’t start until the moratorium ends on 7/6. The reason that no offer sheets have been extended yet is because teams would be unnecessarily tying their money up until that date. Why give Phoenix more time to account for this? Why tie up the pacers money in the off chance someone else wants to sign, this is just keeping doors open.

I believe that the Pacers will offer Ayton a 4 year, 132 million dollar contract on July 6th, 2022.

This not only forces the suns to address this, but they currently cannot match it. They would have to sell LOW on other assets to make the space to re sign at that price point (Assuming the rest of the league would know why they are getting desperate calls to trade for Jae Crowder or something). And if they can't match it, or if the assets they lose trying to save Ayton to flip him, then they might not be able to trade for KD. I keep hearing about a third team taking Ayton on in a massive trade, but does a trade get done if Ayton isn't a sun? I don't think so.

The Pacers are going to set a time bomb on the Durant deal, it’s up to Ayton if he wants to hit start clock. His reward for doing so is a max.

The Indiana Pacers are going to torpedo the Durant trade 3 days from this post.