The trade deadline passed this afternoon without a deal but that doesn't mean it went quietly for the Pacers.
Team President Larry Bird said he had talks with "probably 20 teams" leading up to the 3 p.m. deadline but no deal was consummated.
"We were very active, but we always said we weren't going to do anything to jeopardize our future," Bird said. "If we could've picked up another young guy along the way we thought had some talent, we probably would've done it."
Though Troy Murphy's name was the most commonly mentioned in published reports of trade discussions, the Pacers also reportedly were talking with Charlotte right up to the deadline.
Ken Berger of CBSsports.com reported "a potential swap involving T.J. Ford and D.J. Augustin, with other peripheral pieces involved."
Bird would not comment on specific trade discussions.
Ford posted the following message on his Twitter feed this afternoon: "Sorry but trade rumors was just trade talk... Still a PACER!!!!"
The Pacers are set up to be major players in the trade market this summer and heading into next season, with four of their five highest-salaried players (Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, T.J. Ford and Jeff Foster) entering the final seasons of their contracts. The same is true for Solomon Jones.
"We don't know where the tax is going to be next year or the cap but we've got five guys that are going to be in the last year of their deals," said Bird. "Obviously our first goal is to get under the tax and maybe use some guys for assets. There's going to be a lot of teams out there that want one-year guys.
"What we're trying to do here is get a core group of seven or eight guys and have room to go out and get the veterans that you need to come in and fill your team out. That's my thinking. You can fill your roster out with veterans, and hand-pick them."
Despite all the chatter involving the Pacers, Coach Jim O'Brien said he wasn't surprised no move was made.
"I really felt that it did not necessarily set up well for us this year," O'Brien said. "We have a goal two years from now to have a lot of money to spend on free agents. With that in mind, there are very few deals that happen that don't screw that up. The ideal situation for a team would be to get rid of long money for short money. That's easier said than done.
"Sometimes the best moves are no moves at all. If you're looking at putting some free agents two years from now into this basketball team with Danny (Granger) two years out, Roy (Hibbert), Brandon (Rush), A.J. (Price), guys like that, then you have to be disciplined in what your doing. You have to make sure, if you make a move, that it's best for the team."
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