INDIANAPOLIS -- According to Bob Kravitz of WHTR-Indianapolis, Roy Hibbert has officially accepted his $15.5 million player option. This isn't too surprising since Zach Lowe of Grantland reported last Thursday that Hibbert was going to accept the player option.

Now that Roy Hibbert has officially accepted his player option, the Pacers can finally try and trade him. There were rumors that Indiana was trying to move Hibbert various times last week, but it simply wouldn't have been possible until his player option became official.

There haven't been any indications of interest from other teams regarding Roy Hibbert, but that doesn't mean that the Pacers won't keep trying to trade him. Hibbert's $15.5 million is simply too much for the Pacers to not trade, and he doesn't fit with their new identity and moving him is a necessity.

Indiana wants to play smaller and faster, maybe at the power forward position, but Hibbert is too slow for the Pacers no matter what system they want to run. Indiana may want to use a rim protector, but they have Myles Turner and Ian Mahinmi already on their roster. There is no room for Hibbert on this team anymore. Hibbert simply has become more of a liability than an asset, and it is time to move on as soon as possible.

Based on comments from Pacers head coach Frank Vogel and Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird, Myles Turner will most likely be the second string center. With Ian Mahinmi and Roy Hibbert on the roster competing for the starting role, one will have to be the odd man out by default. Regardless, either Hibbert or Mahinmi will be traded, but Indiana will try to move Hibbert first.

Teams become desperate around this time of year, and Hibbert being a two-time All-Star, standing at 7'2", and having an expiring contract, perhaps a team that misses out on free agent centers will make a trade for Hibbert. Indiana will try to trade him in a salary dump style trade, but they may have to receive a bad expiring contract in return. The Pacers could very well get lucky by moving him, but they will have to make that quick in order to utilize free agency.

There are athletic big men at both the power forward and center positions that would fit what the Pacers want to do. Tyson Chandler and Thaddeus Young are both players that would make a great starting frontcourt for Indiana as both are unrestricted free agents. Indiana would only have money to go after good starting caliber players that would fit their system if Hibbert's salary is dumped.

Just because there haven't been any reports regarding teams interested in Hibbert, doesn't mean there won't be teams interested. There are teams with large amounts of cap space and needs at center, and Indiana just needs to start making calls to those teams. The expectations for a return from Hibbert shouldn't be too high, but the goal should simply be to dump his salary and not much more.

There was an anonymous NBA assistant coach that discussed a possible interest from multiple teams in Roy Hibbert. Here is what was told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News:

“The last two years, he has dropped off in the second half of the season. With big guys like that, the first thing you think of is conditioning. If you can make sure he is in shape for all 82 games, maybe give him time off here and there, he would be worth the risk.”

There are a few teams that come to mind when thinking about possible interest in trading for Roy Hibbert. Those teams are the Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and possibly even the Los Angeles Lakers. Remember, none of those teams have been interested, but they are in situations that could benefit from acquiring Roy Hibbert.

Roy Hibbert may be a disappointment for $15.5 million, but his expiring contract would allow for a rebuilding team to dump big contracts. That would apply to the Denver Nuggets in which they could move either Kenneth Faried or Ty Lawson. Both players would fit the Pacers' new up-tempo offense. Plus Indiana desperately needs a 'small-ball' power forward to start.

As for the Knicks, Lakers, Bucks, Suns, Celtics, and Trail Blazers, they are all teams that need rim protection to take their defense to the next level. Not all of those teams will be able to get a rim protector in free agency. In fact, there are only two free-agent rim protectors of good quality. Also, there is no guarantee that any of those rim protectors even sign with those listed teams.

For a team that needs a center, trading for Hibbert would allow for the Pacers to dump his salary, creating a 'win-win' scenario for both teams. A suitor for Hibbert wouldn't even have to give up quality players either. There wouldn't even be a large commitment to trade for Hibbert, it is simple. If you don't like him, you can let him walk in free agency and then have $15.5 million more in cap space.

If the Indiana Pacers can't manage to trade Roy Hibbert, he will most likely remain as their starting center for one more season. It is almost a certain reality that this will be Hibbert's last season as a Pacer if he survives the off-season. Indiana has dealt with his inconsistency, lack of effort, and playoff disappearances for far too long. He needs a fresh start somewhere else to salvage his career.