After all of the waiting, wondering, and pondering, the moment has finally come and the Pacers have made their first-round selection in the NBA draft.
There have been many names linked to the 7th pick overall including Gradey Dick, Jarace Walker, Cam Whitmore, and Taylor Hendricks, but we finally know who the Pacers decided to move forward with.
And the moment came and the Pacers selected…Bilal Coulibaly? A name that nobody thought was coming, which we immediately found out was traded to the Wizards.
Sources: Indiana is selecting Bilal Coulibaly at No. 7 and trading him to Washington. https://t.co/Z8rZKX2Rl3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2023
The Pacers then selected Jarace Walker with the 8th pick in the NBA draft.
Sources: Indiana is selecting Jarace Walker at No. 8 via Wizards in this 7-for-8 flip. Washington also sends two second-round picks to Pacers to move up for Coulibaly. https://t.co/Z8rZKX2Rl3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2023
The front office made a smart move to get the player they wanted while also adding two second round picks to their arsenal.
The move signals that the team is committed to continuing to build their young core.
Pacers fans should be thrilled that the team decided to draft and develop talent rather than trade away their assets for a win-now type of player. To do so could have potentially hampered them in the short and long-term.
Instead, the team will be bringing in a player who fits perfectly with what the team needs. A talented power forward on both the offensive and defensive side of the court that will fit seemingly into the team. A player that will be able to play alongside Tyrese Haliburton perfectly and will fit with the existing core.
Additionally, the two second round picks, while not high-value assets, were worth it to the Pacers since they were able to draft the player they wanted to anyway. Of course, there will be questions about leaving players like Whitmore and Hendricks on the board, but Jarace will be a perfect fit.
Welcome to Indy, Jarace! You are going to look great in the blue and gold.
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