The Indiana Pacers may have missed out on the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean that their 2022-23 season was a failure by any means. The Pacers appear to be building a solid young core around star guard Tyrese Haliburton, and have amassed a war chest of draft picks for them to utilize in the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft.
The Pacers collection of draft picks in the upcoming draft is led by the seventh overall selection, but they also have the 26th, 29th, 32nd, and 55th picks at their disposal as well. While the seventh overall pick doesn’t seem extremely likely to be moved by Indiana, it sounds like the other four picks, particularly the 26th, 29th, and 32nd, all could be up for grabs if other teams in the league felt inclined to make a move for them.
“The Pacers have been engaged in trade talks involving the Nos. 26, 29 and 32 picks as they continue to weigh the best path forward. While it seems unlikely they will make all of their picks, Indiana would be justified in taking a big swing later in the draft. Miller appears ticketed for the back half of the first round as an upside player with a rare mix of size and skill, but also a wide range of potential development.” – Jeremy Woo, ESPN
Chances are the Pacers will move on from at least one of their picks later in the draft, as making all five selections seems very unlikely to happen. With a ton of trade chatter always popping up ahead of the draft, it looks like the Pacers could end up being major players during the 2023 NBA Draft thanks to their bountiful allotment of picks, and they are definitely a team worth keeping an eye on.