Indiana Pacers: Way-too-early predictions for the offseason

The Indiana Pacers move up in the draft… and trades a key player in return

It hasn’t been common for the Indiana Pacers to pick with a high selection in the NBA Draft. In fact, the franchise has only picked in the top 10 for a total of eight times since…1977. However, that could change in the upcoming draft.

If the team loses out on a higher selection again, which is pretty much where the Pacers are sitting right now with only a 1.2 percent chance of netting the top pick, look for Indiana to be buyers on draft day to move up, especially when teams in win-now mode like the Timberwolves, Bulls and the Pelicans, among others, manage to beat out the odds and obtain a higher pick.

Those teams are constructed to compete now, and the waiting game affiliated with rookies may not be high on their radar. For the Indiana Pacers, this will be a chance to solidify the present while maintaining flexibility for the future. However, they will almost certainly trade a part of the starting lineup in return. My gut feeling says one of Malcolm Brogdon or TJ Warren, if not one of their bigs.