During the 2023 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers acquired Houston’s Jarace Walker from the Washington Wizards, who selected the power forward with the No. 8 pick. Although he had a solid college career, very little of that success translated to the NBA during his rookie year.
Last season, Walker appeared in just 33 games for the Pacers, not starting any of them. In those games, he averaged 3.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.
Walker spent a lot of the season in the G League. Although he played well for the Indiana Mad Ants, averaging 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 13 games, it is not an ideal scenario for someone who had just been drafted in the top 10.
The Pennsylvania native did log some playoff minutes during the Pacers' Eastern Conference Finals run, but he only averaged 3.4 minutes in nine total games and did not look great when he saw the court.
However, despite Walker's poor rookie season. It is way too early to call him a bust. The power forward will be just 21 years old at the start of the 2024-25 season and has looked solid in Summer League. Walker appeared in four games during the Summer League, averaging 33.9 minutes per game, leading all players who played in the showcase.
Furthermore, Walker averaged 18 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. He also averaged a concerning 5.5 turnovers per game, but this is a problem that can hopefully be solved before next season.
Additionally, he also shot 42.6% from the field and 45.8% from beyond the arc. This, ultimately, is the key for Walker to avoid solidifying himself as a bust. For Walker to become a mainstay in Indiana's rotation and become at least a solid NBA player, he must develop a consistent jumpshot to provide extra value on the court and stand out.
Jarace Walker is stuck behind Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin on the depth chart
As it stands, it is essentially impossible for Walker to become a starter for the Pacers in the near future. The Pacers just re-signed Pascal Siakam to a four-year, $189 million contract. Additionally, Obi Toppin signed a four-year, $60 million to remain with the Pacers. For the foreseeable future, the Pacers should be set at the power forward position, which does not boast well for Walker.
However, if he can develop more of an outside game, Walker would become a much more versatile and useful player, forcing the Pacers to keep him around. And according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, this appears to be Indiana's plan.
Per Scotto, Walker, along with Benedict Mathurin, is not available in trade talks.
"As the Indiana Pacers have done their due diligence working the phones with NBA teams across the league, rival executives have inquired about Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker, league sources told HoopsHype."
"Both young players, however, haven’t been made available by Indiana, with the team looking to bring back its core in an attempt to make another deep playoff run this upcoming season."
Walker did not have a promising rookie season, but the Pacers seem to still hold him to a high regard. It should be interesting to see what kind of adjustments the forward will make to bounce back and prove he can become an asset for the long run.