Indiana Pacers Post-Draft Grades: the good, the bad, and the Aussie

Ladies and gentlemen, the 2024 NBA Draft is officially in the books. Two days, two rounds, and 58 picks later, 30 NBA teams now have a few more players on their roster to worry about, including the Indiana Pacers, who made some noise in the draft world and got one of the bigger steals via a trade with the San Antonio Spurs.

This was the first time in a few years that I did not expect much from this draft. After three straight years of picking in the lottery, Indiana not only picked outside of the top 14 but skipped out on the first round altogether after the Pascal Siakam trade saw three of their first-rounders head to Toronto, including their 2024 first. Surprisingly, I left rather optimistic about all three selections, especially the headline acquisition which we will get into in just a minute.

Indiana entered the draft season with picks 36, 49, and 50, and left with someone who many projected to go in the lottery, and two useful utility players, including one fantastic rebounder and hustle guy. From the outset, it is unlikely if not borderline impossible that all three of these players will get minutes for the Pacers to start, let alone help the team win, but there is absolutely a future in the league for all three of these guys and at least one can help the team from Day 1 if necessary.

Without further ado, let's get into these selections and evaluate the new faces in Naptown.