10 Indiana Pacers who never played a single minute for the team
By Jack Simone
10 Indiana Pacers who never played a single minute for the team: 10. Kawhi Leonard
The poster child for this list, Kawhi Leonard is not only the best player in this group, but he’s a guy who will always be mentioned in connection to the Indiana Pacers.
Leonard was the primary piece involved in the aforementioned Davis Bertans trade that sent George Hill to Indiana, as the San Antonio Spurs were able to snag Leonard in the deal.
The Pacers selected Leonard with the 15th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft but traded him that same night. Obviously, Leonard went on to have a ton of success in the NBA.
In his 11-year NBA career, Leonard has made five All-Star Games, five All-NBA teams, and seven All-Defensive teams. He’s won two championships, one with the Spurs and another with the Toronto Raptors. Leonard was named Finals MVP in both instances.
But while the Pacers may always wonder what could have been had they held onto Leonard, the deal worked out for them as well, as Hill churned in multiple successful years with the franchise.
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With Hill at the helm, the Pacers were able to make two straight Eastern Conference finals appearances in 2013 and 2014, but they ended up losing to the Miami Heat on both occasions.
That said, Leonard will always be known as the one who got away for the Pacers.