Ever since the Pacers have been in the NBA, they have built their team through the Draft. It's really the only option they have as a small-market team. They don't get flashy free agents that want to come and play in Indiana. The best free agent to sign with the Pacers in the last decade or so is David West.
The Indiana Pacers do have a good track record drafting players, although it's been a bit spotty in the last few years. Bennedict Mathurin looks good but might be best served as the fourth option on a good team. His ceiling still hasn't been determined. Jarace Walker can't get minutes. Chris Duarte was shipped out last season after two disappointing seasons with Indiana.
Yet, the Pacers have grabbed some gems with some of their less prime draft picks. Ben Sheppard was so down in the first round that he was almost a second-round pick and he looks like a steal right now. Lance Stephenson was a second-round pick and ended up being the starting two-guard and teams that made the Eastern Conference Finals.
Picks the Indiana Pacers own in the 2024 NBA Draft
So what picks can the Pacers use this year? If you recall, they don't have a first-round pick this year because of the Pascal Siakam trade. That looks like a good move since the Pacers will likely get into the playoffs this year. Siakam will also re-sign in the offseason, so they have a co-star to pair with Tyrese Haliburton.
The Pacers have three second-round picks this year. None of them are their own picks though. They own the least favorable pick between Cleveland and Utah. They also won the least favorable pick of Chicago and New Orleans. Finally, they own Milwaukee's second-round pick too.
As you can see, none of those picks are exactly desirable. That doesn't mean they might not be able to get a good player who slips through the cracks. It happens every year in the NBA. I would be surprised if they used all three of those picks though.
Kevin Pritchard and Chad Buchanan do their best work around Draft time.