Indiana converted the rights to Jerryd Bayless and Ike Diogu into Brandon Rush, Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts and cash, adding several useful rotation pieces.
Indiana sent Ike Diogu and the draft rights to Jerryd Bayless to Portland for Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts, the draft rights to Brandon Rush and cash. The Pacers were not simply swapping rookies. They used Bayless as the centerpiece of a broader package that immediately added a starting-caliber guard, a young forward and another first-round prospect.
Jack played all 82 games for Indiana in 2008-09 and became one of the Pacers’ primary guards. Rush spent three seasons with the franchise, starting regularly and providing perimeter defense and shooting. McRoberts developed more slowly but also became a useful rotation big. Indiana therefore received multiple NBA contributors from the same transaction rather than depending on one prospect to justify the deal.
Bayless was not a failed return for the Trail Blazers. He spent two seasons in Portland’s backcourt and later retained enough value to be traded to New Orleans for a future first-round pick. Diogu contributed very little, but Bayless gave Portland both on-court minutes and a second transaction branch. That record is too strong for an F-range or D-range historical grade even though Indiana still received the deeper package.
Indiana’s advantage is the number of useful outcomes: Jack was immediately productive, Rush remained for three seasons, and McRoberts became a rotation forward-center. Portland’s side was narrower but still legitimate because Bayless played and was later converted into another first-round asset. The completed record supports a Pacers win while leaving the Trail Blazers with a respectable secondary grade.
Pacers Win — Indiana B+, Portland C+. Indiana received the deeper package: Jarrett Jack, Brandon Rush and Josh McRoberts all became useful Pacers, with cash added on top. Portland’s main return was Jerryd Bayless, who contributed for two seasons and later retained trade value, while Ike Diogu added little. The prior Portland D grade understated Bayless’ actual value and downstream conversion, so C+ is the more defensible losing-side grade.