Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets agree on draft pick trade, per source

The Pacers have begun to optimize their assets

An NBA source has informed AllPacers that the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets are making a trade involving multiple draft picks.

The Pacers are sending the 29th and 32nd picks in the 2023 draft to the Nuggets. In return, Denver is sending a 2024 first round pick and the 40th pick in tomorrow's draft to Indiana.

The 2024 pick that is going to the blue and gold is one that the Nuggets just acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder during the NBA Finals. The pick will be the worst 2024 first-round pick between the Rockets, Clippers, Thunder, and Jazz. Oklahoma City previously owned all four picks, but now has just three of them. Whichever one of those four squads finishes with the best record next season will send their first rounder to the Pacers.

The Houston pick cannot convey to Indiana if it lands 1-4 and the Utah pick won't be moved if it falls between 1-10. The Los Angeles and Oklahoma City picks are unprotected. For explanation purposes, given how those teams finished in the standings this season, the Pacers would have gotten the 20th pick from the Clippers.

Indiana made it clear that they were not going to make five picks in the 2023 draft, so moving one of their first round picks for a selection in 2024 that could be better than 29 is smart business. They moved back eight slots in the second round to do so, though they are gambling somewhat that none of the four teams mentioned above will be in the upper tier of the NBA this coming season.

For Denver, this trade gets them into the first round of the 2023 draft. That will allow them to grab cheap talent as they move forward from their NBA Championship.

Indiana now has four picks in tomorrow's NBA Draft with picks seven, 26, 40, and 55. They may not be done dealing given their roster and pick situation. But now, they have an additional first rounder available for the 2024 draft, which will be helpful for their build going forward.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN was the first to report that a trade had been agreed to between the two franchises. The NBA Draft is tomorrow night.

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