The Indiana Pacers may be tempted to trade Jarace Walker this season (particularly in a package for an upgrade a center), but his value has never been lower, and they are better off holding on to him and hoping he figures it out.
Pacers shouldn't trade Jarace Walker... yet
Trading Walker may ultimately be the right call for Indiana. He was the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and has yet to live up to that hype. Though he's shown flashes at times (including this season, when he scored 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting against the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons in November), the Houston alum hasn't been able to fully piece it together.
Walker's biggest problem is still his inconsistencies. He will have stretches where he looks decisive and physical, and that is when he's at his absolute best. However, he also has plenty of moments where he looks scared and hesitant, which often leads to many bad mistakes (i.e., his six-turnover game against the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 9).
There is a lot to like about Walker's game. In theory, he is a do-it-all forward who can shoot, defend, play every position, bring the ball up the court, and be a physical brute. Unfortunately for him and the Pacers, he hasn't figured it out just yet, and there are legitimate questions about whether they should commit to him for the long term if he can't work everything out.
This has led many to think Walker may ultimately just be a trade chip, especially as Indiana reportedly looks to improve its center situation. However, given how low his value is, the Pacers are better off just keeping him around for a little while longer.
It's way too early to give up on the 22-year-old (who is also the second-youngest player on the team, only being older than Johnny Furphy). This is the first time he's had a consistent on-court role in Indiana, and it was always expected that he would go through some growing pains, which he has.
He's not perfect, and he might never be a starting-level player on a championship-caliber team. Regardless, Walker has a lot of potential, and it's looking like things are finally looking up for him.
In his last 10 games, the Pennsylvania native has averaged 9.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 44.4% from the field and 37.2% from beyond the arc. Again, it's not perfect, and his inconsistencies haven't fully gone away. However, he is beginning to look more comfortable every time he steps onto the court, and it may only be a matter of time before he finally puts it all together.
The Pacers might be active in trade talks this season, and it would be fair to say that Walker is far from an untouchable. Still, he still has a lot of potential, and trading him while his value is as low as it is would be a massive mistake for Indiana that could backfire.