The Indiana Pacers have one of the most exciting rosters in the NBA. Due to their balance of fast-paced offense and youth, the Pacers were named the most fun team to watch in the league in an anonymous GM survey. While they are far from a perfect team, there is a lot to like about the Pacers' roster. However, it was not always this good in Indiana.
For the past few years, the Pacers have experienced some roster turnover, including during the trade deadline last season. Now that we are two weeks into the 2024-25 NBA season, this is as good a time as any to check in on former Pacers around the league.
Signed elsewhere this offseason
Jalen Smith
After parts of three seasons in Indiana, big man Jalen Smith left the team this summer to join the Chicago Bulls. Smith's role gradually diminished with the Pacers, culminating in him playing in just seven games during the team's conference finals run last season.
In six games with the Bulls, the Virginia native is averaging 9.8 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 48.7% from the floor and 50% from the three-point line.
Doug McDermott
The Pacers re-acquired Doug McDermott in February, though his second stint with the team was far less memorable than his first. McDermott spent most of the offseason as a free agent before joining the Sacramento Kings in mid-October. The North Dakota native has assumed a small role in Sacramento, appearing in just four games (though he started one of them).
On the year, McDermott is averaging 3 points per game on 33.3% shooting.
Departed in 2023-24
Buddy Hield
Indiana traded Buddy Hield, who they acquired as part of the blockbuster Tyrese Haliburton-Domantas Sabonis trade in 2022, to the Philadelphia 76ers. However, Hield left Philadelphia this offseason to join the Golden State Warriors and has looked fantastic.
Hield has played an instrumental role in Golden State's 6-1 to begin the season. So far, he is averaging 21.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Furthermore, he is shooting 51.4% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. To make things even more impressive for Hield, all but one of his games has been off the bench.
The 31-year-old is playing the best basketball of his career right now with the Warriors and is a top candidate to win the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown only played in 33 games for the Pacers last season before getting traded to the Toronto Raptors in the Pascal Siakam trade. Brown is still in Toronto despite appearing in numerous trade rumors, but he has yet to play this season due to a knee injury.
Chris Duarte
After two seasons in Indiana, the team traded Chris Duarte to the Kings during the 2023 offseason. Duarte played 59 games for the Kings last season, averaging 3.9 points and 1.8 rebounds, before the they traded him to the Bulls this summer.
So far, Duarte has only played in two games for Chicago and has averaged 3 points.
Jordan Nwora
Like Brown, the Pacers traded Jordan Nwora to Toronto in the Siakam trade. However, unlike Brown, Nwora is already out of the league.
After finishing last season with the Raptors, where he averaged 7.9 points on 46.5% shooting in 34 games, Nwora joined Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi and the EuroLeague.
Daniel Theis
Daniel Theis' Pacers career was forgettable, to say the least. The Pacers acquired Theis from the Boston Celtics in 2022 as part of the Malcolm Brogdon trade, but he only appeared in eight games for the team in parts of two seasons and played a very minimal role.
Since waiving him last season, Theis played for the Los Angeles Clippers and is now on the New Orleans Pelicans. Initially the Pelicans' starting center, Theis has now taken a backseat to rookie Yves Missi and is now coming off the bench.
Other notable names
Paul George
It has been seven years since the Pacers traded him, but Paul George remains the best franchise player they have had in a long time. After stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers, George came back to the Eastern Conference and joined the Philadelphia 76ers over the summer.
George missed the first week of the campaign and made his debut on Monday night against the Phoenix Suns and recored 15 points on 4-for-14 shooting, five rebounds, four assists, and a steal.
Domantas Sabonis
Speaking of the George trade, this was how the Pacers landed Domantas Sabonis. After parts of five seasons, the Pacers traded Sabonis to the Pacers for Haliburton. While he was good in Indiana, Sabonis has turned it up another level since joining the Kings. He finished in the top-10 of MVP voting in each of his two full seasons in Sacramento and is an essential part of their core.
Malcolm Brogdon
The Pacers traded Malcolm Brogdon to the Celtics in 2022. Despite winning Sixth Man of the Year in his only season in Boston, things have gone downhill for Brogdon since the Pacers traded him.
Boston sent the guard to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jrue Holiday. However, Brogdon appeared in just 39 games for the team and started 25 of them. Portland traded Brogdon to the Washington Wizards in the offseason, but he has yet to suit up as he recovers from a thumb injury.