3 Players the Indiana Pacers shouldn’t have given up on
By Joe Lyon
No. 2 Edmond Sumner
Edmond Sumner is a very athletic player, and one that many fans were sad to see go when he signed with the Brooklyn Nets for the 22-23 season. The Xavier standout was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans in the second round, but was traded to the Pacers on draft night.
During his first season, Sumner struggled to find time on the floor only making it onto the floor for one game. Sumner increasingly saw more time on the floor the next three seasons for the Pacers, increasing to 9.1 minutes per game in 23 games, 14.4 minutes per game in 31 games, and 16.2 minutes per game in 53 games in each of the three subsequent seasons respectively. It appeared for a time that Sumner was set to be a longer term rotation player for the Pacers who was shooting nearly 40% from three in his final season.
However, the progress didn’t last long as Sumner suffered and Achilles injury and had to miss the entirety of the 21-22 season. It was during this injured season that Sumner was traded and subsequently waived by the Nets.
There was a possibility the Pacers could be Sumner back to Indiana, however, he signed with the Nets prior to the 22-23 season. He is currently averaging 7 points in around 15 minutes per game. While this isn’t game-changing, he features as consistent depth on a talented Brooklyn Nets team.