Report: Indiana Pacers rebuffing trade inquiries for young players Jarace Walker and Bennedict Mathurin

Walker and Mathurin were recent lottery picks

Dec 26, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — According to a report from Michael Scotto in HoopsHype, the Indiana Pacers are rebuffing trade offers for two of their recent lottery picks in Jarace Walker and Bennedict Mathurin.

The Pacers, who have retained Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin in free agency while also recently agreeing to terms with James Wiseman, have a deep roster. There aren't a ton of minutes to offer for their young guys — Mathurin projects to be a bench guard while Walker currently projects to be out of the rotation in Indiana.

But the ceiling on those players is high, so it's easy to understand why the Pacers would want to hold on to them. "As the Indiana Pacers have done their due diligence working the phones with NBA teams across the league, rival executives have inquired about Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker, league sources told HoopsHype," Scotto's report begins.

That is a natural idea from opposing teams. The Pacers have a deep roster, so perhaps others believe their young guys with smaller roles are available. However, Indiana is smart to hang on to two recent draft picks who have high ceilings and are on cheap contracts for multiple seasons.

Mathurin is a terrific scorer for someone his age. Players who are Walker's size that can move well are rare, and he showed off improved outside shooting during his rookie season. Both recent lottery picks could become high-impact players at some point, and Scotto reports that Indiana has not been making them available in trade talks.

"Both young players, however, haven’t been made available by Indiana, with the team looking to bring back its core in an attempt to make another deep playoff run this upcoming season," his report reads.

Mathurin is spending time with Team Canada this summer ahead of the Olympics. He averaged 14.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game last season before a season-ending shoulder injury in early March. Walker, meanwhile, is preparing to play for the Pacers in summer league. "We're still big believers in Jarace and think there's a lot of things that he can do that this roster needs," Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said in late May.

Scotto's full report can be found here.

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