Beyond losing Myles Turner to the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency, the Indiana Pacers didn't have much an eventful offseason.
They acquired Kam Jones and Taelon Peter, both second-round picks in this year's draft, and they traded for Jay Huff. The Pacers also signed Isaiah Jackson, Aaron Nesmith, and Quenton Jackson to new contracts as well.
None of these moves are true blockbuster moves, though. The closest would probably be signing Nesmith to an extension, but he was never really a threat to go anywhere anytime soon regardless.
However, amid their rather uneventful offseason, the Pacers did make one move that continues to look better by the day. Even more than hardcore fans could have anticipated.
Pacers getting their own first-round pick is huge
Is it technically the offseason if you were in the NBA Finals? No clue. But technicalities aside, the Pacers did make a trade in June, just days before Game 6 of the series, and got their first-round pick in 2026 back from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Indiana initially traded the pick to the Toronto Raptors as part of the Pascal Siakam trade. But it ultimately made its way to New Orleans before the Pacers got it back.
At the time, the Pacers likely just made this trade to have some extra draft capital and trade assets. But now, this is looking like a truly valuable asset that should help the team in the long run.
When Indiana re-acquired its pick, it was facing a 3-2 series deficit against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Win or lose, there were reasons to believe that the Pacers would remain in title contention for the 2025-26 NBA season and beyond. However, not only did they lose the series in seven games, but they lost their star point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, for a whole season after he suffered an Achilles injury.
Without Haliburton (and subsequently Turner), many anticipated the Pacers to struggle this season. But it's been way worse than anybody could have predicted.
Roughly three weeks into the regular season, Indiana is 1-10, and the team shares the worst record in the league with the Washington Wizards. No disrespect to the Wizards, but this is not good company for the Pacers to be in.
Plus, the Pacers' offensive and defensive ratings rank among the worst in the NBA on both sides of the ball, according to Basketball Reference, and they continue to deal with brutal injuries to key players.
There is still a lot of basketball left to be played, but at this rate, the Pacers could end up with the No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft. And given how much talent is at the top of the class (Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, and Cameron Boozer, among others), this could be a great situation for the team to be in.
It was an overlooked move, and given how hectic this past offseason was around the league, this is justifiable. But the Pacers making this trade with the Pelicans could ultimately become what allows them to redefine the Haliburton era and re-establish themselves as title contenders sooner rather than later.