Busy draft night leaves Bird speechless Bruno's pick-by-pick first-round blog Cornrows sets the draft-night scene O'Neal confirms trade to Toronto Pacers Draft War Room

Chad Ford, ESPN.com
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Grade: A.

Analysis: To evaluate the Pacers, you have to take a step back a day to see how everything unfolded. They traded the chronically injured Jermaine O'Neal and a second-round pick for T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Baston and the No. 17 pick. That means they added a starting point guard coming off a career year, significant cap space in 2009 and a prospect.

Then Indiana swapped No. 11 and Ike Diogu for No. 13 and picked up a solid backup point guard, Jarrett Jack, and a local hero, Josh McRoberts.

So in the course of two days, the Pacers rebuilt their team in a way that improves it now and in the future. The Pacers should be much more exciting to watch with a Ford/Jack/Rush/Mike Dunleavy backcourt. The additions of Hibbert and Nesterovic give them some much-needed size. And with several major expiring contracts, including Nesterovic, Marquis Daniels and Jeff Foster, they'll have some significant trading chips at the trade deadline or real cap space in the summer of 2009.

Kudos to president Larry Bird and general manager David Morway for one of the most sophisticated rebuilding efforts I've seen.

The Indiana Pacers didn't do much on draft night. Except . . .

Get much quicker, adding T.J. Ford, a speedy, explosive point guard, in the soon-to-be-consummated trade with the Toronto Raptors. The Pacers haven't had this much quickness at the point since Travis Best -- and even mentioning Best here is a bit of a stretch to make the point.

Add lots of future salary cap flexibility, ridding themselves of Jermaine O'Neal's contract. Then, by acquiring useful center Rasho Nesterovic, they got the all-important expiring contract, one more year at $8.4 million.

Make Jamaal Tinsley, the Guard Who No Longer Exists, completely expendable. If the Pacers have to buy him out and eat the salary, they'll do it. Suddenly, there's a logjam at point guard. Forty-eight hours ago, could you have imagined?

Get deeper and more durable at the point, adding fourth-year player Jarrett Jack in a trade with Portland. At 6-3, Jack is much bigger than the 5-11 Ford and gives Indiana a stronger defensive presence on the perimeter. In three years, he has averaged 27 minutes, 9.5 points and 4.0 assists per game. Plus, he's cheap, making $2 million this year before becoming a restricted free agent.

Get bigger, much bigger, getting a true center by drafting Roy Hibbert out of Georgetown with the 17th pick.

Yeah, he's slow, real slow, and you wonder how he'll fit offensively into coach Jim O'Brien's system. But he's 7-2, and with O'Neal gone, the Pacers desperately needed size.

And finally, add Brandon Rush, the scoring guard/small forward whose development will be closely monitored next to Portland's Jerryd Bayless, the player originally chosen by the Pacers and then dealt to Portland. (Unofficially, of course.)

Other than that, it was a quiet night. …

The cleansing is virtually complete. By now, almost every Pacer who has been in trouble either on the court or off has been dispatched. Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and O'Neal are gone. David Harrison almost certainly is. Tinsley is as good as gone. Williams is close to extinction as a Pacer. …

You wanted new Pacers. You got new Pacers. Lots of them.

The best Win Score draft goes to the Indiana Pacers for picking up solid players in Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert. Both are NBA-ready and excellent Win Score prospects. Along with their trades, the Pacers are primed to pass .500 this season and are a franchise on the upswing.

It's hard to know what the Pacers have with the pending trades. Jermaine O'Neal is reportedly headed to Toronto for T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic and the rights to Hibbert. They reportedly have acquired Rush, Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts from Portland in exchange for the rights to the 11th overall pick, point guard Jerryd Bayless and forward Ike Diogu. Grade: C-plus.

Larry Bird is wasting no time cleaning house. He's just got to be careful not to be too hasty about it. Jermaine O'Neal is gone. Given what they could've gotten for him the past few years, T.J. Ford and Nesterovic's expiring contract ($8.4 M) doesn't seem like enough for him. After having the rights to Jerryd Bayless fall in their lap at No. 11, Indiana shipped him away for KU's Brandon Rush and Jarrett Jack, who will join Ford in helping Jamaal Tinsley pack the moving van. Shawne Williams is supposedly next to go. It's nice that Bird is making good on his promise to deliver a roster you don't have to worry about seeing on the police blotter, but it seems like the Pacers will settle for mediocrity to do so. Passing on Bayless made no sense. He's got the skills to be a 20-point scorer in this league, while Rush will be stuck behind Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy. Indiana fared better with their second No. 1 pick, targeting Roy Hibbert with pick No. 17 because of the likelihood he can contribute immediately. Grade: D

John Hollinger, ESPN.com Insider
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It's rare that I like a trade from both sides, but once in a while one comes along that's mutually beneficial. Wednesday's deal between Indiana and Toronto is just such a deal. … both teams are repackaging their assets to get into a far better position than they were before, and for either side, the downside seems pretty minimal.

Let's take a look, first, from the Pacers' side:

They got something for Jermaine O'Neal: This wasn't easy, not with O'Neal being owed $44 million over the next two seasons and his run of poor health the past few years. While his name has come up a lot in trade conversations over the past year, talks never got far because the other side always flinched at his salary.

They got a point guard: Ford was excellent last year when he played, ranking sixth among all point guards with a 20.4 player efficiency rating (PER). And while Ford's spinal stenosis condition is obviously a concern, I'm told the team doctors carefully went over his medical information and concluded there isn't anything immediately career-threatening.

They can trade Tinsley: Obviously, this involves finding somebody who wants to take him, but he was their only true starting point guard. Now they have his replacement.

The draft is their oyster: Prior to this trade, the Pacers seemed locked into taking D.J. Augustin at No. 11 to resolve the point guard issue. They still might -- forming an all-Longhorn point guard rotation -- but they're also freed to pursue other talents that may unexpectedly fall their way (like Brook Lopez). And with the No. 17 pick, they can grab a second young big man -- heavens knows this draft has enough of them -- to quickly rebuild the frontcourt rotation.

Cap space! Ah, yes, now we get to the big kahuna. By taking on the expiring contracts of Nesterovic and Baston and taking back $2.5 million less than O'Neal makes to begin with, the Pacers put themselves in position to be about $16 million under the cap next summer (depending on where the cap number comes in, which we won't know until next July). They can pursue a big free agent (or take one in a trade) to team up with Ford, Danny Granger and the draft picks, and they'll have the next generation of Pacers up and running.

So, big picture, the Pacers finally start over. For the past couple seasons they've been hemming and hawing about whether to go in a new direction; now Bird has set a definitive course. As a result, look for other dominoes to fall in Indy -- starting with Tinsley and possibly including Troy Murphy and Jeff Foster. …

So the upshot is, this deal absolutely works for both teams. I expect the Raptors to be significantly better next season as a result of this deal, as it takes a player who was utterly redundant and converts him into a solution for the team's single biggest weakness.

And I expect the Pacers' rebuilding to be much smoother and faster now that they've jettisoned O'Neal and received '09 cap space and two good young pieces in return.

The players come out of it in better shape, too. O'Neal and Ford get new leases on life after being sprung from difficult situations. Bosh finally gets a frontcourt partner to do the dirty work for him. Calderon gets starter's minutes and some added salary leverage. Even throw-ins Nesterovic and Baston are likely to get more burn in Indy than they would have in Toronto. Only Bargnani loses.

So it's a win-win all-around. Kudos to both Bird and Colangelo for recognizing the mutual benefit.

O'Neal may just be the first domino to fall in Indiana. Sources say Indiana was willing to trade everyone but small forward Danny Granger at the deadline. "They made it clear they were willing to blow it up," a Western Conference executive said. Contrary to reports, front-office sources say the Pacers have been shopping forward Mike Dunleavy -- who is owed $29.3 million over the next three seasons -- while showing some reluctance to part with center Jeff Foster, who is considered a favorite of coach Jim O'Brien.

With O'Neal out of the picture, the Pacers are now in full rebuilding mode. With Ford and the remaining three years and $25 million of his contract now on board, incumbent point guard Jamaal Tinsley is expected to be moved or have the remaining three years and $21.4 million on his contract bought out. Pacers president Larry Bird also told local reporters this week that second-year forward Shawne Williams is "on thin ice."

Ford, however, is a risk. An ultra-quick, streaky-shooting point guard, Ford has the talent to be a 30-to-35-minute starter. But Ford missed 13 games with a neck injury last season, the same injury that caused him to miss all of the 2004-2005 season. There is literally the possibility his career could end at any moment.

For Toronto, acquiring O'Neal means that All-Star power forward Chris Bosh will finally have some help in the frontcourt. Despite an injury-plagued 2007-08 season, it is widely believed that O'Neal's knee problems are not an issue anymore and that had he been playing for a contender, he might have been able to play late last season. While not a pure center, O'Neal averaged 19.6 points and 9.4 rebounds in 2006-07 and, when healthy, is still a force in the pivot.

Regardless of who they actually drafted, the Indiana Pacers won the draft on Wednesday night. In dumping Jermaine O’Neal, the Pacers acquired the holy trinity of an expiring contract, future considerations, and the best talent in the deal. Expect to see the Pacers return to the playoffs given this excellent take.

Many consider the deal to be beneficial to both Indiana and Toronto, which it might be, but the Pacers will benefit from this swap far more than the Raptors because of what it signifies. …

O’Neal seemed to miss more games than he played in this year, leading many to speculate that his time in Indiana was coming to an end. The Pacers missed the postseason by a single game, with an injured roster and Granger and Dunleavy carrying the entire team on their backs.

It was thought that if the Pacers could somehow deal both O’Neal and Tinsley this summer, for something other than similarly injury-prone and expensive players, they would certainly get back in the playoffs sooner rather than later.

With this Toronto swap becoming a reality, Indiana can fans rest assure that there will be no more standing pat. They have a suitable point guard, a contract that expires a year prior to O’Neal’s (Nesterovic) and yet another pick in Thursday night’s NBA Draft.

Bird and Morway are showing that they have more than just a desire to change, they are actively seeking it out and acting on it.

O'Neal has been on the block for over a year. If he's finally healthy, the Raptors will have a formidable front line paring with Chris Bosh and O'Neal. Moving Ford clears up their confusion at the point, assuming they are able to re-sign restricted free agent Jose Calderon. A source says the Raptors wouldn't have moved TJ if they weren't very confident that Calderon would return.

Toronto is now without any pick in the draft and will look to add a steady backup at the one to Calderon. It's a pretty big gamble considering O'Neal's salary and knee problems, but the Raptors could be getting a lot better defensively should the deal go through.

It's best to call it a win-win since the Pacers were desperate to add a true point guard. They've shopped Jamaal Tinsley to no avail considering he has three more years at $7.2 per and a questionable reputation (health, attitude, etc).

Ford also has significant injury issues (spine) but should be a good fit with Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Danny Granger. The Pacers have a long way to go before they're a playoff caliber team. At 17, they may add a big man like Robin Lopez.

At least now they can move on without the albatross contract of O'Neal ($45.4 million over the next two seasons).

This deal, or at least a similar deal that would provide the Pacers with a new point guard and salary cap flexibility, has to happen, for several reasons:

First (and second and third), it would get Indiana out from under the massive O'Neal contract, which will pay him $21.3 million this year and $22.9 million next year. The Pacers cannot rebuild as long as O'Neal's contract is on the books, eating up nearly one-third of the team's annual payroll.

This is not a shot at O'Neal, whose ultimate legacy should be that he did a lot of good things on the court and off here in Indianapolis. It wasn't his fault that he was the face of a dysfunctional team; he wasn't the one getting into trouble.

His biggest problem was that he got hurt a lot, and even that was not entirely his fault. After Brad Miller left in free agency, O'Neal never again had a solid big man by his side to take the brunt of the defensive beating.

Was he the hardest worker? No. Was he the perfect leader? No. But he was the best player on a flawed team.

It would provide the Pacers with a solid, if injury-prone, point guard.

Ford is a risk. He missed the 2004-05 season with a serious neck injury, and he may be one bad fall from retirement. But he played 72 games in 2005-06, 75 games in 2006-07, and returned from an injury to play 51 games last season.

If he gets hurt and is forced to quit, insurance will pay 80 percent of his contract, and his cap number ($8 million this year, $8.5 million next year) will be wiped off the team's books one year after the injury.

Ford's game, which relies on speed and breaking down perimeter defenders, is perfectly suited for coach Jim O'Brien's free-wheeling, 3-point-happy offense.

The downside is his defense, which was an issue for the Pacers on the perimeter all season. Because of his size and health, he's a defensive liability. But he gives the Pacers freedom to make Jamaal Tinsley disappear, and any moves that make Tinsley vanish and move O'Neal's contract have to be viewed as major steps forward. …

That would be a nice day's work for Bird, if he could replace Tinsley, move O'Neal's contract, acquire an expiring deal and add a second first-round draft choice.

While adding O'Neal might help the .500 squad make an incremental improvement this coming season, his arrival in Toronto marks a step backward for a once up-and-coming club. Thirty in October, Jermaine might be better known as Jer-pain or Jer-moan for his alarming history of injury and gimme-the-ball immaturity. But Colangelo's suddenly not-so-young Raptors weren't exactly dealing from strength. …

Nine months ago, Colangelo said the core of the club was Chris Bosh, Ford and Bargnani. Now Ford's heading out, Bargnani's a boot-camp summer away from being declared a bust, and Bosh is working on his game ... as a Jay Leno contributor. Comedy is Bosh's only remedy, perhaps, because he and Toronto's fans never expected it to get so lame so quickly.

Does O'Neal get them to the second round? His health's a bigger question mark than Ford's, and he's a worse teammate than Nesterovic with, recent returns suggest, only marginally better stats. Even if he's better than that, remember Colangelo's vision of the Euro-tinged, 100-shots-a-night Raptors? Now they'll indulge O'Neal's painfully deliberate, averse-to-contact post game. If you thought Ford was a chemistry problem, wait until Jer-mine goes without his touches.