Grade the trade: Pacers shockingly move up into top 3 in 2023 NBA Draft
By Tyler Watts
The Indiana Pacers want to exit their rebuild and get back to the playoffs after three straight years in the lottery. Tyrese Haliburton just made his first All-Star appearance, and the Pacers have plenty of young talent on their roster. They plan on adding to it on draft night. Indiana has the seventh overall pick, but rumors suggest they could trade it for a veteran wing.
The Pacers are determined to improve their roster. Marc Stein even linked them to free agent Harrison Barnes (subscription required), who head coach Rick Carlisle knows well from their time together in Dallas. Expect them to make moves, but what can Indiana get done in this crucial offseason?
Bleacher Report dropped some trades to shake up the draft night, and it had the Pacers moving up. Could Indiana swing a deal to get into the top three? It would be franchise-altering, but won’t be easy.
Indiana Pacers trade up in top 3 in 2023 NBA Draft
This hypothetical trade has the Pacers finally trading away Myles Turner to move up in the draft. Here is the shocking deal that would certainly create plenty of buzz on draft night.
The 2023 NBA Draft features the most-hyped prospect since LeBron James in Victor Wembanyama. He is going first overall to the Spurs. The next tier is two prospects that would be number-one picks in plenty of drafts. Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller are expected to go two and three in some order. Both could be multiple-time All-Stars and franchise changers.
The Pacers would be ecstatic to move up, but is this deal a possibility? Here is a look at the trade from both sides before handing out a grade for Indiana.