Which prospects could the Indiana Pacers eye in a trade up?
By Luke Parrish
James Bouknight is a fun option for the Indiana Pacers
UConn’s James Bouknight is surging up boards in the final weeks before the NBA Draft and his offensive upside should land him inside the top 10. The Pacers could use another scoring threat in the backcourt even if they would play him off the bench as a rookie. With the two starting guards set in stone barring a trade, Bouknight could become a bench killer.
His blend of athleticism and shot-creation make Bouknight a promising weapon for the future. His three-point shooting numbers are a bit concerning but the rest of his game is too good to pass up. He averaged 18.7 points last season despite shooting just 29.3 percent from deep.
Given that Bouknight hit nearly 35 percent of his threes as a freshman and hovered around 80 percent from the foul line in college, there is reason to believe he is capable of shooting well but just has not tapped into it yet.
Turnovers were a major problem in college but the Pacers could use Bouknight as an off-ball scoring threat with slashing ability. With his offense being as promising as it is, the defensive upside tips the scale for Bouknight.
He tallied 1.1 steals and 5.7 rebounds last season, proving that his length and athleticism help him on the other end of the floor. With Indiana’s struggles on the glass last season, adding a rebound-hungry guard will help them immensely.