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How close are the Indiana Pacers to completing their core of the future?
Indiana has the No. 7, 26, 29, 32 and 55 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. They will have the opportunity to take Houston forward Jarace Walker or UCF forward Taylor Hendricks as potential starting power forwards to fit alongside guard Tyrese Haliburton, guard Bennedict Mathurin and center Myles Turner. Guard George Hill and forwards Oshae Brissett and James Johnson are all listed as unrestricted free agents for the 2023 offseason. Guard Gabe York and forward Kendall Brown are listed as restricted free agents.
Who are some players the Pacers should avoid selecting with the No. 26 and 29 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft?
Marcus Sasser
If the Pacers needed to invest in extra guard talent and scoring off the bench, Houston guard Marcus Sasser would be an interesting option to watch out for with the No. 29 pick.
Sasser, a 6-foot-2-inch guard from Dallas, Texas, played in 107 games and started in 93 during his four years with the Houston Cougars. He averaged 16.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 30.8 minutes played per game last season, leading the Cougars in points per game on a 43.8% shooting percentage.
The 22-year-old guard said he had no regrets about returning to Houston for the team's 2022-23 campaign.
“It was an amazing run,” Sasser said during a postgame press conference in March. “Came up short, but the time that we got to spend throughout these months, I couldn't have for nothing better. Then just coming back to this program, coaching staff, it was just amazing.
“I'd pick that choice 10 out of 10 every time. So it was a great run for sure.”
But the Pacers don't need extra guard depth. At least, not enough to spend a first-round pick on a potential high-level option at the point.
Even with Hill being listed as an unrestricted free agent, Indiana still has Haliburton and guard T.J. McConnell under contract for the 2023-24 season, according to Spotrac. Haliburton, who the Pacers acquired in a trade with the Sacramento Kings in 2022, led Indiana in points and assists per game last season. McConnell had a solid season off the bench for the Pacers, earning averages of 8.7 points and 5.3 assists while hitting 54.3% of his shot attempts and 44.1% of his tries from the 3-point line.
Indiana will need to continue investing in size in the draft and beyond if they want to compete with some of the best the NBA has to offer. Turner, center Daniel Theis, forward Jalen Smith and Isaiah Jackson will be under contract for the Pacers next season.
If the Pacers were to take Walker or Hendricks at No. 7, they could try to add depth at the three or the five with their later picks. ESPN's mock draft had Indiana selecting G League Ignite forward Leonard Miller at No. 26, while Marquette forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper was taken by the Charlotte Hornets just one pick later.
Miller, a 6-foot-10-inch forward from Scarborough, Toronto, Canada, highlighted how working in the NBA's G League helped him prepare in a pre-draft workout with the Pacers.
“Going to the G League helped me prepare so much because of the feel of the game, the pace,” Miller said in May, via the Pacers. “It's the same rules as the NBA. It's really the same format. We're going up against grown men. The competition is like no other. Everybody's just trying to go out and compete. It's always a battle every night out there.
“It prepared me so much because I've grown so much as a player, on and off the court. On the court, I know where I need to be to really be successful. My game is just more solid. I feel really comfortable out there.”
Prosper, a former 4-star recruit from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, spent one season with Clemson before transferring to Marquette in 2021. The 6-foot-8-inch played in 68 games and started in 61 during his two years with the Golden Eagles, earning averages of 9.7 points and four rebounds while hitting 49.3% of his attempts from the field.
Prosper can provide a spark off the bench if he were to fall to Indiana at pick 26.
“The biggest thing I'm trying to show them is I'm the guy I can bring a spark to a team,” Prosper said when asked what he was trying to showcase during the pre-draft process during a pre-draft workout with the Pacers. “Especially defensively, a guy that can come in, guard multiple positions. A guy that's going to lift the energy on the floor up.
“On offense, a guy that can stretch the floor, knock down open shots, cut, finish, play in transition. All different things. I want to show teams I can be a reliable two-way player.”
