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Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Plan A: Kemba Walker

Victor Oladipo needs a friend. We'll let Paul Pierce explain.

"He's the loneliest superstar in the Eastern Conference, and maybe the league," Pierce said of Oladipo on ESPN. "And what I mean by that is he has no other guys on that team that will probably make All-Star or even maybe have the potential to be an All-Star. ... If he doesn't [dominate] each and every night, this team will lose a lot of games."

Assuming the 26-year-old Oladipo is in or approaching his prime, this is the time for the Pacers to act. That's not particularly good news given the dearth of star-caliber trade candidates, but maybe a package of picks, cap relief and Aaron Holiday could convince Charlotte to part with Walker.

Few backcourts could match the offensive potency of a Walker-Oladipo tandem, and Indy's support scorers would become sharper with more focus paid to the main attractions. It'd be a bold blockbuster, for sure, but maybe one that pushes the Pacers from good to great.

Plan B: John Wall

This is essentially the watered-down version of the Walker plan. That's not to suggest Walker is demonstrably better, but an Oladipo-Wall pairing might be fatally short on shooting.

So why even consider this? Because head coach Nate McMillan wants to increase tempo, and few combos seem more capable of accelerating than Wall and Oladipo. As long as Oladipo hovers above average from distance, Indy might have the frontcourt spacers to make this work.

Wall's supermax complicates any pursuit, but there are two reasons it might not scare off the Pacers entirely. For starters, the massive financial cost might mean the trade price is far below what one would think for a 28-year-old five-time All-Star. Plus, cap space is most important for free-agent destinations, and Indianapolis has never been regarded as such.

Plan C: Jabari Parker

Think of this as toeing the line between trying to improve and not disrupting the future. Parker has only a $20 million team option after this season, so Indy wouldn't sacrifice any flexibility to land him. What it might get, though, is the second-most skilled scorer on the roster.