Indiana Pacers know they are limited in 2024 NBA Draft, but still hope to walk away with best player they can get

The Pacers are prepared for a unique draft

Jun 23, 2022; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number six overall pick by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — After three years in the lottery, the Indiana Pacers are finally entering a draft after a playoff berth. But instead of simply picking later in the first round, the Pacers will have one of the more unique draft nights in the NBA this year.

That's because the Pacers, who at one point had two first-round picks in the 2024 NBA Draft, will instead not pick until the second round. They traded the pair of first rounders to the Toronto Raptors in the deal that netted them Pascal Siakam, so they won't make their first choice until 36th overall, barring trades.

They have three picks in total, but none of them belonged to the Pacers originally. Indiana owns pick 36 (originally Toronto's), 49 (originally Cleveland's), and 50 (originally New Orleans'). Standings tiebreakers determined the blue and gold's pick numbers.

This year, for the first time ever, the NBA Draft will encompass two days. The first round will be the night of Wednesday, June 26 and the second round will start in the afternoon the following day. The Pacers currently won't have to make a selection on the premier night, but they could trade into the first round.

"It'll be a little different this year with a two-night draft. The first round is on a Wednesday night, it's like it never happened. So we look at it as we have the sixth pick in the draft on Thursday night," Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said through a grin during his end-of-season exit interview late last month.

What the Pacers decide to do will depend on what is available to them. There is a wide range of options since they are so far down the board. And the blue and gold have a deep roster, too, so they aren't in need of cheaper young depth.

"The draft this year, we're limited a little bit because we don't have a first-round pick," Buchanan said. "But that's not to say we won't try to be aggressive if there's something out there to try to address some needs that we have."

Indiana currently has 11 players signed to standard contracts next season, though that number could change based on a few factors. Regardless, that the team has so many players already is notable. Between free agency and the draft, it may be hard for the Pacers to make three selections, though they do have two-way contract slots available.

Those 11 players play different positions. The blue and gold had a deep roster last season, and it was one of their strengths. That reality does make it more difficult to pick a single position that the Pacers may find to be the most important in this draft, but it does make it more logical to simply take the best player available.

"We're not approaching it any different as far as our preparation. I think when we look at the roster, we have a chance for a lot of continuity," Buchanan said of the draft this year. "So you can kind of see where the holes that you just need to fill in from a balanced depth chart [perspective]. But we're always going to be trying to find the best player we can get, too."

In terms of the public-facing prep so far, the Pacers have already scheduled 20 prospects for workouts, and plenty more are coming. Their spread out picks and lack of specific needs have mock drafts all over the place.

So far, their pre-draft workouts have featured a lot of pace and energy — many draft hopefuls have noted the increased tempo in Indiana. The groups have largely been older, more experienced prospects. Buchanan detailed that in private interviews, many prospects have shared that part of their impression of the Pacers is that the team plays fast.

"We have needs at maybe a couple of different positions as you look at free agency and who's coming back, who's not coming back," Buchanan said. "But with pick 36 we'll probably try to get the best player we can get. Ideally, it's at a position where we have a roster depth need."

The 2024 NBA Draft officially begins in 15 days. The Pacers are getting ready for a unique one thanks to their assets, their needs, and the draft's new timing.

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• Report: 'Mutual interest' between Indiana Pacers and Pascal Siakam in NBA free agency. CLICK HERE.
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• What early mock drafts say the Indiana Pacers could do in the 2024 NBA Draft. CLICK HERE.
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