The Indiana Pacers have not made the postseason since the NBA bubble season. But the Pacers have done an excellent job of bringing in talent via trades and stockpiling draft capital.
NBA Rumors: Indiana Pacers Interested In Trading 2023 Draft Picks
Indiana is coming off its third postseason-less campaign as they posted a 35-47 record. However, the Pacers were still in contention for a play-in spot before collapsing down the stretch.
Indiana closed the season by losing 13 of their 22 contests post-all-star break. As a result, the Pacers finished four games behind 10th place Toronto. The Raptors went 13-10 after the all-star break.
While Indiana finished 10th in the NBA in scoring (116.3), the Pacers only ranked 19th in offensive rating due to poor shooting and turnovers. The Pacers shared the ball and shot it from the 3-point line well. The Pacers struggled mightily defensively, although they did do a good job with steals and protecting the rim.
“I was really sad at the end of this year,” Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard told the Indy Star. ” The reality is this team was so fun to be around. I wanted them to get a taste of the playoffs, but I’m not sure it was the right thing.”
Indiana Pacers 2023 Offseason Outlook
As Pritchard mentioned, Indiana was a young and exciting team. The Pacers were the 10th youngest team, with 10 players under 25. Several of those youngsters developed this year, and a few of their veterans had strong campaigns. Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin are two of those youngsters that should give the Pacers organization a positive outlook.
Haliburton continued his upward trajectory, garnering all-star acclaim for the first time as he had a career year. The 22-year-old point guard, who missed 56 games, was one of three players to compile 20 points and 10 assists. Mathurin, the 2022 No. 6 pick, got off to a strong start but didn’t shoot the ball very well. He still earned First team NBA All-Rookie recognition.
Buddy Hield had a fantastic season, while Myles Turner turned in a career year though injuries once again plagued him. Andrew Nembhard, Jalen Smith, Jordan Nwora, and Isaiah Jackson showed promise.
Indiana was the 10th youngest team in the league this past season. The Pacers have built their roster more through trades than the draft. However, the Pacers will have five draft picks in the 2023 draft.
Indiana has nearly a full roster before the NBA offseason begins, with 12 players under fully guaranteed contracts. The Pacers project to have around $28 million in cap space. According to head coach Rick Carlisle, they plan to use most of that money to improve their defense and rebounding. Carlisle told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star that improving the defense and rebounding were priorities.
… when it comes to defense and rebuilding. Said those areas have to be addressed externally and internally. They need to address it through personnel additions in the draft, trades and free agency, but also the guys on the roster have to get better.
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) April 7, 2023
Oshae Brissett, James Johnson, and George Hill are unrestricted free agents. Pritchard already said that the likelihood of those three players returning to the Pacers hinges on what they do in the draft and early on in free agency.
“Those are guys we’ll be looking at, but with all these draft picks and cap space, they’re not July 1 deals, they’re July 10.”
2023 Draft Picks
Speaking of the upcoming 2023 NBA draft, Indiana owns five picks. The Pacers have their first-round selection, which will be a lottery pick. The Pacers have the seventh-best chance to win the lottery and are guaranteed a top-11 choice. They also own the No 26 (Cleveland) and 29th pick (Boston). Indiana has two second-round draft picks, either No. 32 or No. 33 and No. 55.
“Looks good to me,” Carlisle said of the 2023 draft class in April.
While it is doubtful that the Pacers will deal with their lottery selection, they could trade either of their first-round picks and either (or both) of their second-round selections.
“We have three first-round picks,” Pritchard said. “We will have two second-round picks depending on what the lottery kicks out. I don’t want to bring in five young kids to this organization. We have enough young kid that we’re really grooming.”
“I’m optimistic about our future. I think there’s some opportunities for us to look at our draft picks and cap space and maybe put a bunch together and make big packages and go after some players. I can’t say for sure that’s gonna get done. But I want to be really creative with how we go after the right players.”
Indiana has another option. The Pacers could use a pick and stash the prospect overseas or in the G-League (2-way). Kendall Brown, who the Pacers acquired after being selected in the second round by the Minnesota Timberwolves, spent most of the 2022-23 campaign with their G-League Affiliate and is a prime example of this.
Who Could the Pacers Draft at the 2023 NBA Draft?
So, who could Indiana be interested in drafting? If the Pacers’ first pick is No. 7 or later, the following players are potential draftees. Jarace Walker, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Bilal Coulibaly, Rayan Rupert, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Maxwell Lewis, Julian Strawther, Terquavion Smith, Noah Clowney, Zach Edey, Andre Jackson, Jaime Jaquez, Kobe Brown, Arthur Kaluma, Grant Nelson, and Liutauras Lelevicius.
Walker would be a good option for the Pacers at No. 7. He is a high-level defender and ferocious rebounder.
Hood-Schifino, who played his lone collegiate season at Indiana, is a potential target for the Pacers at the end of the first round. Hood-Schifino is a 6-6 wing who can score, rebound and distribute the ball. He does need to improve his shooting and defense. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year has foregone his remaining eligibility.
Prosper is a potential late first-round or second-round prospect. The athletic 6-8 forward had a tremendous junior season as he shot over 51% from the field and was fantastic on the offensive glass. He does need to improve his 3-point shooting and defense.
Jackson-Davis is an underrated prospect. The 23-year-old big man is a solid scorer, strong rebounder, and rim-protector. He should be a second-round choice who could sneak into the first round.
Strawther has improved each of his collegiate seasons. He is an excellent shooter who knocked down over 40% of his 3-point shots and is a capable defender.
Clowney is an excellent second-round draft prospect. The 6-10 forward is an outstanding rebounder and solid low-post scorer who defends well.
Jackson is a strong prospect, as he is one of the best two-way players in the draft. While the 6-6 wing isn’t efficient offensively, he is clutch and does everything else well.
Jaquez is similar to Jackson. The 6-6 Jaquez is a better scorer and definitely the better shooter. However, he is not as strong as a defender or passer.
Coulibaly, Rupert, and Lelevicious are possible overseas draft-and-stash prospects.
