4 Young players the Pacers should develop, 2 to give up on

Develop: Jarace Walker

The eighth overall pick in 2023 played just 340 total NBA minutes as a rookie. Haliburton gets that much run in 10.5 games with the Pacers.

Walker dominated the G League in his 13 regular season contests. He averaged 21.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.0 steal, and 0.9 blocks in 34.9 minutes per game.

The 20-year-old confirmed he is ready for a step up in competition with more strong numbers in the summer league. Nobody played more minutes per game in Las Vegas, and the Pacers played him as their lead ball-handler to improve his versatility. Walker is a key piece of their future, and head coach Rick Carlisle must give him more minutes in the 2024-25 season.

The 6’8 forward turns 21 years old in September and is years away from his peak. Indiana should prioritize his development over all of their young talents. Walker has All-Star potential but needs playing time and to put in work to reach that ceiling.

The Indiana Pacers have a ton of young talent and are just getting started. They are eager to prove their 2024 conference finals run was no fluke. Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam give them two stars. The Pacers just need to put the right pieces around them and developing their current talent is crucial to becoming a serious title challenger. Stay tuned to see what the franchise can accomplish.