Pacers’ NBA Draft 2025 Strategy Shaped by Finals Run

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers were just playing an NBA Finals game on Sunday night, but they have little time to decompress. The 2025 NBA Draft begins on Wednesday, and the Pacers have to be ready to start constructing their roster for the 2025-26 season.

Their priorities are unique. During their deep postseason run, Indiana shipped away their 2025 first round draft pick in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, meaning the Pacers only selection this year currently sits at pick 54. But in between that deal and now, their upcoming season was significantly altered as star guard Tyrese Haliburton ruptured the Achilles tendon in his right leg. The Pacers draft considerations may have shifted as a result, though that trade was still smart business.

Sending the 23rd pick to New Orleans in exchange for a 2026 first-rounder — which happens to be Indiana’s own pick previously dealt away — was a savvy move. The Pacers already face a crunch for minutes next season as they work to develop recent draftees Jarace Walker and Johnny Furphy. Adding another first rounder this summer would have complicated both the team’s rotation and salary structure. By reacquiring their own 2026 pick, Indiana also eliminates any Stepien Rule complications and regains control over a valuable future asset, especially with Haliburton expected to miss significant time next season.

Even with Haliburton’s injury, the trade remains a no-brainer. Now, the 2025 second round is now an intriguing opportunity for Indiana. It’s a chance to add to a young core and perhaps uncover a low-cost contributor for the upcoming campaign.

Why Is This A Unique NBA Draft For The Indiana Pacers?

Preparations for this NBA Draft were unlike past years for the Pacers. Typically, the team announces and hosts several pre-draft workouts at their practice facility in the weeks leading up to the draft. But this year, with the team playing through June 22, that space was reserved for NBA Finals preparations. As a result, some workouts were held off-site in Indianapolis or in cities the team visited during the playoffs.

The front office did everything they could to be opportunistic and still get a look at various prospects. They want to be as prepared as possible every year, and this was no exception even with a Finals run mixed in. Pacers decision makers made the most of the situation.

While no specific players were announced for workouts, various posts on social media from agencies and players confirms that Iowa guard Drew Thelwell, East Carolina guard RJ Felton, and Liberty guard Taelon Peter all performed a pre-draft workout for Indiana at some point. Many others did, too.

Indiana doesn’t enter the draft with a glaring positional need. While they are somewhat thin at center, and particularly youth at the five, their depth across the roster was a postseason strength. It’s unlikely a rookie, especially a second-rounder, would break into the rotation.

That said, Haliburton’s injury may lead the team to explore point guard depth in the short term. But no player picked in the second round, the only round during which the Pacers presently have a pick, should be expected to be a contributor in year one. Haliburton will return after that. Given their roster dynamics, the Pacers seem likely to take the best player available and continue building out their youth pipeline.

The unique combination of the Pacers draft preparations and pick situation already makes their draft one of one in the NBA this year. Their upcoming financial reality only adds to that.

Indiana could be heading toward an expensive roster. They already have 10, perhaps 11, players under contract for next season before potentially re-signing center Myles Turner. “That is the number one priority,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of retaining Turner in free agency. Keeping him is important for the blue and gold, but doing so would in all likelihood push them over the luxury tax threshold when it comes to team spending. If that’s the case, having cheap contributors on the roster would be valuable.

That’s where the draft comes in. Second-round picks can be signed to low-salary contracts – the minimum salary for a player with zero years of service in the NBA is the lowest possible salary a team can offer. If the Pacers don’t want to venture too far into the tax but still want to use the draft to add someone with potential, they may look to add a rookie who can command a standard roster spot on a cheaper contract.

Still, it’s rare for the 54th pick to earn a standard contract. Since the NBA introduced two-way contracts in 2017, every No. 54 pick has signed one in their rookie season. Indiana may follow that trend if they stay put on Thursday night.

With all of that in mind, perhaps the Pacers try to move up slightly in the second round. Using a future pick and/or cash along with pick 54 as a potential trade package to acquire a 2025 selection in the low-to-mid 40s, where the talent pool improves slightly and standard deals are more justified, makes good sense. That flexibility could be key if the Pacers identify a prospect they believe can contribute sooner.

But the Pacers don’t have to approach the draft with finances as the primary driver. They may opt to add veterans in free agency and gear up for a competitive 2025-26. If that’s the path Indiana chooses, and they only pick at 54, then a two-way deal for whoever they select is plausible, if not likely. Current Pacers two-way contract players Enrique Freeman and Quenton Jackson are set to become free agents in July, meaning two-way deals will open up for the blue and gold if they are not retained.

This upcoming NBA Draft lost much of its significance for the Pacers when they traded away their first-round selection. Good teams with limited draft capital rarely generate buzz. But the Pacers combination of salary cap realities, an NBA Finals run, and a significant injury to their franchise player makes this draft more consequential than it appears on the surface. They will do the best they can with the limited 2025 draft resources they have.