Pacers 23rd Pick Tournament Semifinals: Tony Snell vs. Trade Up (Trade Danny Granger)

This semifinals matchup looks like it will be a great one. Indiana needs a versatile guard/forward who can handle the basketball, while having potential as a good defender down the road with his freakish length. Tony Snell can shoot the lights out when he is hot, which is another thing the Pacers need, a scorer off the bench. Outside of Paul George for the future, Indiana is severely lacking on the wing. Meanwhile, trading Danny Granger to move up in the draft sounds appealing to some Pacers fans.

Below is the usual prospect breakdown on Snell from ESPN's Chad Ford and SB Nation partner, Draft Express. If you want to learn more about Snell, pay attention to the details provided.

Tony Snell

After asking some veteran NBA scouts about Snell, he athleticism was compared to being 'Paul George-like'. Would you want to see another athletic wing on this roster next season?

Now we get to a topic that people are either totally for it, or totally against it. That is trading Danny Granger this off-season. In this scenario, Indiana is trading Granger to get into the lottery of the draft. Looking at it, this is not a bad idea.

The birth of a star in Paul George and a faster development then anybody ever thought from Lance Stephenson make Granger a likely sixth man next season. If Danny refuses to play off the bench next season, then trading him is the only option. Getting a younger scorer off the bench, like Shabazz Muhammad or C.J. McCollum makes a ton more sense then keeping Granger's hefty salary of $14,021,788.

Indiana has their young core set with George, Stephenson, Hill, and Hibbert. Getting back David West in the off-season rounds out their starting lineup. Granger does not fit into the starting lineup of this team anymore. For his health, coming off the bench would keep him more effective.

Pushing Granger out the door could seem harsh, but shedding salary next season will be crucial to keeping this current core together. George will be up for likely a max-contract extension and if Stephenson continues to develop next season, he will also be in line for an extension.

Money-wise, it does not make sense to keep Danny around long-term. Also, I imagine teams will be more hesitant to deal away a 2014 pick due to it being the most top-heavy draft since 2003. Getting an immediate asset at a cheaper contract makes sense.

Danny is the captain of this team, but the sad truth is that he does not fit into the starting lineup anymore. It is like fitting a square peg into a round hole. If for some reason he refuses to play off the bench, the Pacers will have to move them. I am in the camp where you continue to keep this starting lineup together next season. It has gotten them one game away from an NBA Finals berth.

If Granger is fine with being the Pacers sixth man next season, then you keep him on the roster. I believe this draft class can give you legitimate scoring power off the bench. If they could move into the lottery portion of the draft and get a scoring punch from Muhammad, McCollum, or somebody else it is then a good idea to move Granger, in that sense.

This topic is controversial for Pacers fans. Either you are 100% with keeping Granger, or 100% with trading him away. I would love to see Danny stay around and play in a reduced role off the bench next season, but trading him for a younger piece to me would be something I bite on if I am in the Pacers front office.

After the analysis on Snellfrom ESPN's Chad Ford and Draft Express, also my little rant on the possibility of trading Granger, who should move on to the finals? Will it Tony Snell or Trade Up (Trade Danny Granger) receiving your vote to move on in the Indy Cornrows 23rd Pick Tournament?