Indiana Pacers first 2024 NBA Draft workout features pace, drills, and testing: 'We were playing faster'

The Pacers are prepping for the 2024 NBA Draft

Tennessee Volunteers forward Josiah-Jordan James speaks to the media after a pre-draft workout with the Indiana Pacers on May 31, 2024. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Pacers On SI) /

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers held their first pre-draft workout with prospects on Friday ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft. As it stands, Indiana has three second-round selections in the draft, so they will periodically bring in potential draftees for the next 3.5 weeks. The NBA Draft starts on June 26 this year.

Last summer, the blue and gold had five picks spread around the draft. They had a lottery pick, selections later in the first and early in the second round, and some second-round choices deeper in the draft. That big range created value in working out a ton of players with different skill levels and core abilities.

This year, with the Pacers best pick being 36th overall, the group of NBA newcomers they will look at in their building will be different. And their needs are different, too. After trading away three first-round draft picks during the season, including their 2024 selection, for Pascal Siakam, Indiana needs to add youth to its team while also thinking about who can fit in their new reality that features goals of competing in the near future.

Their first draft workout, which featured six players that spent several years in the NCAA ranks, was the first glimpse of what the 2024 pre-draft process might look like in the Circle City. Jamal Shead from the University of Houston said that there was a lot of energy in the activities, and the standout difference to him between his moments with the Pacers and other teams was the speed.

"They play a little faster, so we were playing faster today," Shead, who played with Pacers forward Jarace Walker in college, said.

Blake Hinson from the University of Pittsburgh and Kyle Rode of Liberty University both shared similar notes. Hinson recalled the group doing fastbreak drills, and Rode detailed that the pace and environment stood out. "I think just the pace. I loved how the coaches were so upbeat and encouraging," Rode shared.

Rode added that a key part of the pre-draft workout was the Pacers seeing the players compete and get after it. That's a theme from every year in the talent evaluation process, and some elements of workouts are constant every draft cycle. One-on-one, two-on-two, and three-on-three play are always valuable when observing players.

Many of the attendees detailed their day. Before hitting the hardwood, they met with the medical staff as well as the strength and conditioning group. They went through some testing and talked about their injury history where applicable.

Then, they hit the court. "A lot of skill stuff. Finishing, shooting. And then we got into the one-on-one before you guys got here, two-on-two," University of Tennessee forward Josiah-Jordan James explained. "Just playing out of actions before the three-on-three."

James said the people in the building stood out to him during the workout. Dozens of Pacers staffers looked on, with members of the front office, scouting department, and analytics staff present. The night before the workout, James walked through downtown and noticed the number of people wearing Caitlin Clark attire. He could tell Indianapolis was a passionate hoops city before he even saw the floor for his workout.

Beyond Pacers evaluators, some players were in attendance. Tyrese Haliburton, Darius McGhee, Aaron Nesmith, Kendall Brown, Bennedict Mathurin, and Jarace Walker were all present in the building at different times. Shead and Walker have a prior relationship, as do Hinson and Haliburton as well as James and Nesmith.

Rode thought that it said a lot about the Pacers and their culture that established players came to watch the pre-draft workout. It stood out to him that Haliburton hung around even after going through his rehab. The star guard watched many of the pre-draft workouts last season, too.

"Means a whole lot," James said of Haliburton and others looking on.

The Pacers will have more workouts leading up to the draft, and the next one is already scheduled for next Tuesday. So far, Shead (46th in ESPN's latest mock draft) and Dillon Jones (49th) are the standout players that have hit the St Vincent Center for a session, but that list will expand soon. As it does, players will try to stand out with their pace and talent in Indiana.

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