This season has been a major roller coaster for Jarace Walker as he looks to finally establish himself as a real asset to the Indiana Pacers. He's had moments where he's looked great (like his 21-point, 8-for-10 shooting performance against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 24), but he's also had plenty of bad moments as well (i.e., his six-turnover game against the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 9).
All of this has led to Walker being considered a real trade candidate this season. However, the Pacers might be better off keeping him around, especially if the return isn't going to be good enough. And in a recent episode of the "Hardwood Knocks" podcast, Dan Favale said much of the same.
"The idea of giving up on Jarace Walker to get, what I assume they would prefer to be their backup big man or a stop-gap starter for next year, just rings hollow, but I also don't know, 'What are you doing better?'" Favale said.
The Pacers shouldn't trade Jarace Walker this season
Walker has mostly been considered Indiana's biggest disappointment this season, and it's easy to see why. He was drafted with the eighth overall pick in 2023, yet he didn't have many opportunities to showcase his value throughout his first two NBA seasons. This year, as the Pacers navigate through life without Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, was going to be his chance to prove his worth in a bigger role.
Unfortunately for the Houston alum, things haven't been all that great for him.
In his first 20 games of the season (which includes 11 starts), Walker averaged 10.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.1 turnovers while shooting 33.8% from the field and 31.6% from deep in 27.4 minutes. His shot wasn't falling, and he crumbled under pressure numerous times with the ball in his hands. Additionally, he still looked lost on defense and indecisive on offense.
There was a lot on Walker's plate, to be fair to him. Not only are the Pacers without Haliburton and Turner, two of their most important players from last year's finals team, but they were also without Obi Toppin, Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and T.J. McConnell for different chunks of time.
Naturally, a lot of their responsibilities fell onto Walker, who spent his first two years in the league mostly riding the bench. This was a big change, and it was only natural that he was going to go through some growing pains. However, it seems like he's finally turning things around and is proving that maybe he is a real asset in Indiana.
Since the turn of the calendar, the 22-year-old has averaged 10 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1 steal, and 0.8 turnovers while shooting 45.3% from the field and 51.2% from deep in 20.8 minutes across 11 games. Furthermore, he looks way more comfortable on both sides of the ball and has been doing a much better job of putting the ball on the floor and finding his own shot offensively.
Walker might never live up to his pre-draft hype, but it's clear that he has talent and can provide value. Trading him could make sense given his age and potential (and the fact that a change of scenery could benefit him), but all things considered, it's looking like he's finally showing the Pacers what they've needed to see from him. And it's up to them to see it through completely.