3. 2023 first-round pick (top 10 pick)
As it currently stands, before the NBA Draft Lottery, the Indiana Pacers are projected to have the seventh pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. In all likelihood, they’re probably going to be picking seventh. Either way, a top-10 pick in the NBA Draft is a great trade asset to have heading into the offseason. And if it happens to jump into the top 5, it’ll only look better on the open market.
If the Pacers wanted to use it as trade bait, they’d probably be able to land a really good player. That said, it would be somewhat surprising if the Pacers traded out of the top 10. Unless of course, they get in the conversation for a player like OG Anunoby. And then that becomes a question of whether the Pacers would want to make that swap.
The problem with that hypothetical is that it likely won’t just cost their 2023 first-round pick. If they were to make a move for a star-level player, the cost would be this pick along with another pick, and potentially one of their young players.
While this is a good asset, it alone is not that valuable compared to some of the team’s other pieces.