Doug McSchooler/Associated Press

As recently as the beginning of last season, Roy Hibbert was a foundational piece for the Indiana Pacers. After wrapping up another disappointing campaign, his future with the team looks murky.

In their end-of-season comments, both vice president of basketball operations, Larry Bird, and head coach, Frank Vogel, expressed a desire to shake up their style of play. Each specifically named Hibbert as someone who might be on the outside looking in.

Here are Bird's comments first (h/t Candace Bucker of The Indianapolis Star):

We assume he's going to be back and if he comes back, we're probably going to play another style, and I can't guarantee him anything. He's going to have to earn it. I was talking to coach earlier; we'd like to play a little faster tempo, and that means we've got to run a little faster, maybe at times play a little smaller. We just got into it, so I don't know what style, but we'd like to change it a little bit. … But I would like to score more points, and to do that, you've got to run.

And here is Vogel, basically echoing Bird (from the same Buckner piece):

We'll have to see how it all plays out and what the roster ultimately looks like, but there's a possibility that Roy's role will be diminished, if we're trying to play faster and trying to play smaller, but a lot of stuff is going to happen this summer. We'll see how the roster shapes out coming into next season.

Hibbert has a $15 million player option for next season. Even with the team's leaders publicly questioning his place in the organization, it's hard to imagine him walking away from that guaranteed money. He would likely command far less on the open market, which only makes his opt-in seem more inevitable.

Sean Deveney of Sporting News reported the Pacers shopped Hibbert last summer and have every reason to do so again:

The Pacers did their due diligence on shopping Hibbert last summer, but (predictably) found no takers. He had an only slightly better season this year, but the Pacers have some advantages this time around if they do shop him again. Most notably, Hibbert has only one year left on his contract, so making a deal for him would be a low-risk gamble for a suitor, even if it is expensive in the short term. That could have a double impact because Hibbert also figures to put forth a special effort in a contract year. There is also the notion that Hibbert has worn out his welcome in Indiana and would benefit from a change of scenery.

As Deveney points out, there are no slam-dunk trade scenarios for the Pacers. However, there are a few potential packages that could allow Indiana to move on from Hibbert and start building their roster for a different style of play.

Bob Levey/Associated Press

Trade No. 1

Indiana Pacers Receive: Eric Gordon or Tyreke Evans

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Roy Hibbert

Fans have been clamoring for the Pacers to acquire Eric Gordon for quite a while. He's a local hero, having played high school basketball in Indianapolis and a season for the Indiana University Hoosiers. Gordon also has a player option for next season, and we have to assume he'll be taking that. That leaves a scenario where comparable salaries could be swapped with no long-term commitment for either side.

For Indiana, Gordon is a chance to strengthen the wing rotation and really double-down on a spread offense that is heavy on shooting. He is no longer the potent slasher or athletic defender he was before injuries began to take their toll. However, Gordon knows how to find open space in the half court, can handle the ball enough to help run the offense in a pinch and shot 44.8 percent from behind the three-point line this season.

Plugging Gordon into the starting lineup would add some offensive firepower and strengthen the second unit by making C.J. Miles and Rodney Stuckey (whom Bird was adamant about trying to re-sign) the first two off the bench. Having another competent wing also gives Vogel the flexibility to try going small more frequently, playing Paul George a little at power forward to exploit different matchups.

On the New Orleans side, Gordon was very important as a floor-spacer last year, but he doesn't appear to be a part of the team's future. The Pelicans seemed to prefer playing a solid rim-protector next to Anthony Davis, allowing him to freelance more on defense. Omer Asik is a free agent and, although he would make nearly twice as much as Asik did last year, Hibbert is an upgrade both offensively and defensively.

Aaron Gash/Associated Press

Trade No. 2

Indiana Pacers Receive: O.J. Mayo, Tyler Ennis

Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Roy Hibbert

O.J. Mayo is another player the Pacers have been connected to for a while. Back in 2011, when he was still with the Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana tried to trade Josh McRoberts for him at the deadline. The deal was ultimately nixed because it wasn't reported to the league in time.

Mayo is not the player he was then, but he still has value—potentially providing many of the same benefits as Gordon. He's a career 37.7 percent three-point shooter who can slash when the ball is swung to him on the weak side and occasionally make good things happen in the pick-and-roll. Next season would be the last on his contract and, at just $8 million, he'd save the Pacers some money over Hibbert's salary. The Milwaukee Bucks have enough cap room to absorb the difference.

Ennis didn't play much this season, but was a highly regarded point guard prospect coming into the draft. His contract is extremely reasonable, and Indiana could essentially try him out with minimal risk.

Hibbert may not be an ideal fit for the Milwaukee Bucks on the surface. The team's defensive scheme is high-energy, and Big Roy is not nearly as mobile as the rest of their big men.

However, Larry Sanders is done in Milwaukee and they could use another rim-protector to platoon with Zaza Pachulia and John Henson. Hibbert's experience, essentially playing free safety and guarding the lane in a conservative scheme, could potentially even create more opportunities for the Bucks' perimeter players to pressure and create turnovers.

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Trade No. 3

Indiana Pacers Receive: Arron Afflalo, Chris Kaman

Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Roy Hibbert

This last trade is a little bit harder to lay out. It hinges on the fact Portland was, at one time, extremely interested in Hibbert. In fact, his $15 million salary next season is a product of the restricted free agent offer sheet the Trail Blazers signed him to in the summer of 2012, which the Pacers subsequently matched.

This deal probably only works for Portland if they choose not to re-sign Robin Lopez and get LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews to come back at reasonable prices. Those are three big question marks, and a fourth would be whether Hibbert even still holds any interest for them. If they did, Portland could get a defensive upgrade over Lopez and slightly more flexibility on offense.

For Indiana, the upside is roughly the same. They save a little money, avoid any long-term commitments and get the depth to experiment with a different style of play. Kaman is limited but provides some veteran experience off the bench, replicating some of the things Luis Scola did this year.

Afflalo has bounced around the past two years, but he adds some versatility to what Gordon and Mayo offer. His defensive credentials have taken a hit, but Afflalo can defend both wing positions, which expands Vogel's options for creative small-ball lineups. He's a consistent outside shooter and can attack off the dribble or in the post, given the right matchup.

There are no miraculous gifts in any of these trade packages for the Pacers, but that's sort of the point. The past two seasons have reinforced Hibbert's limitations of endurance and offensive ability, but his defense still makes him a very productive player.

If Indiana does decide to move him, the best-case scenario is a step sideways that allows them to transform the roster stylistically. The payoff will come, not from a net addition of talent, but from putting in place a more versatile and flexible system that allows them to make better use of the talent they have.