Report: Indiana Pacers possibly looking to trade up in NBA Draft

The Pacers have five picks in the 2023 NBA Draft

The Indiana Pacers are set up to have a busy offseason.

The team has five draft picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, but they don't want to bring in five rookies. They may have to find some trades involving their selections to keep their asset base strong while still accomplishing their draft goals.

They also want to bring in a talented forward. "Everybody wants a four man that has length. That can guard multiple positions. That can shoot threes and make plays," head coach Rick Carlisle said earlier in the offseason after discussing how the team will look different in 2023-24.

Because Indiana has a ton of cap space and multiple tradeable pieces, they have many methods to get their guy when it comes to the forward spots. Combine that with their hope to not make five draft-night selections, and it's clear that the Pacers will have moves to make this summer.

One move the team could be interested in executing was recently reported by Marc Stein. Stein, via his substack newsletter The Stein Line, noted that the blue and gold may be interested in a move involving their draft picks.

"The rumbles are rising in volume that Indiana, which holds three first-round picks in the June 22 draft at No. 7, No. 26 and No. 29, will be looking to move higher up the board on draft night," Stein said (subscription required).

Logically, this makes some sense for the Pacers. Drafting a high-upside player to pair with Bennedict Mathurin and Tyrese Haliburton is a solid idea.

"At seven, you really want to have a guy with a high ceiling," President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard said last month when discussing the team's best pick in the draft. It's fair to assume that similar logic would apply to a draft pick that is better than seven.

Pritchard's team has more draft picks than roster spots. Indiana will likely need to move a few of their draft picks in deals anyway, something Pritchard has said multiple times throughout 2023.

"We're not going to keep all five picks, but there's just a lot of things we could do," he said. "My guess is we'll get a lot of offers for those picks, too."

For an Indiana team that has not picked inside the top-five of the draft since choosing Rik Smits second overall in 1988, moving up would be a significant move. It would not only allow the Pacers to get their guy, but it would also be a move that is unlike anything the franchise has done in a while. They rarely pick before 10th, so moving up even higher this year would suggest that the team is hoping to accelerate their rebuild and move into the next stages of team building.

Perhaps they covet Alabama's Brandon Miller. Maybe it's Amen Thompson or Scoot Henderson. Stein does not name any specific prospects who Indiana may have interest in. But if the team does move up, they will hope to get a player that has upside and helps the roster, particularly on the defensive end. The NBA Draft is in 10 days.

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