The Indiana Pacers traded up to the 22nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft to select Isaiah Jackson. First, they had to moved up to 31st overall, which they are still paying for five years later. The Pacers gave up 54 and 60 in the 2021 draft, which turned into Sandro Mamukelashvili and Georgios Kalaitzakis. They also had to part with a 2024 second-rounder that turned in Cam Christie and the 32nd pick in 2026 that just became Richie Saunders. Jackson never fully blossomed in Indy, which makes this deal look even more disastrous.
The Pacers sent pick 31 and Aaron Holiday to the Wizards for Jackson’s draft rights. The backup big man spent his first four and a half NBA seasons in Indiana before being traded in the Ivica Zubac deal. Jackson never played more than 16.8 minutes per game, and his athleticism decreased after recovering from a torn Achilles.
Indiana moved up to get their guy, but the trades didn’t work. Isaiah Jackson is gone, and the Pacers are still giving up draft capital from these deals. The Pacers just missed on an elite shooter that should fit into an NBA rotation in Saunders for four years of a backup big man.
Pacers’ 2021 draft gamble for Isaiah Jackson continues to haunt them
The trades are officially finalized after Saunders was taken with the 32nd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The Grizzlies made the selection after acquiring it from Milwaukee in the 2021 Grayson Allen trade. Here are the full details for the 2021 draft night trade that allowed Indy to move up to 31st overall.
Pacers acquired: Isaiah Todd
Bucks received: Sandro Mamukelashvili, Georgios Kalaitzakis, Cam Christie, and Richie Saunders
Indiana quickly flipped Todd and Aaron Holiday to get Isaiah Jackson. Credit to the Pacers. They moved up from 54th and 60 to 22nd overall. Sadly, they missed on Jackson with Neemias Queta and Santi Aldama still on the board. Indiana was bold, but the gamble went bust.
Fans saw the same thing happen with the Zubac trade. The Pacers needed a starting center to replace Myles Turner. They wisely let Turner walk in free agency, but Indiana wants to chase a championship next season when Tyrese Haliburton returns. The Pacers traded a top-four protected pick and more for Zubac, which ended up being the fifth overall pick after the lottery.
Not every gamble has gone bust. The Pacers bet on Haliburton becoming a superstar, Aaron Nesmith being a quality role player, Andrew Nembhard being undervalued, and Pascal Siakam being a second star. Those moves all look genius, but the Pacers have their misses.
The Indiana Pacers have paid for moving up in the 2021 NBA Draft several times over the last five years. They thought Isaiah Jackson would become a difference-maker, but it never happened. The Pacers gave up four second-rounders, including the 32nd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, to get up to 31. They flipped that selection with Aaron Holiday for Jackson. Fortune favors the bold, but not this time. Luckily, the pain is over for Indy.
Add us as a preferred source on Google