The Indiana Pacers are getting their 2026 first-round pick back, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Charania reported Tuesday the Pacers are trading their No. 23 pick this year — plus the rights to guard Mojave King, a 2023 second-round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers who’s been playing overseas — to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Pelicans had previously acquired the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick, which Indiana originally traded to the Toronto Raptors in the deal for forward Pascal Siakam. The Raptors eventually sent the pick to the Pelicans in the Brandon Ingram trade earlier this year.
New Orleans now has the Nos. 7 and 23 picks in this year’s NBA Draft. Indiana, meanwhile, has restored its 2026 draft capital.
The mid-June trade takes place following the Pacers’ Game 5 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals. Indiana now faces a 3-2 deficit in the series, with Game 6 set for Thursday night in Indianapolis.
The move affords the Pelicans more ammunition to trade up in the draft, if they so choose, or they could use both first-round picks.
On the other hand, the Pacers will go their second straight draft without a first-round pick. That said, Indiana — which cleared out nearly $3.2 million in salary cap space with the trade, per ESPN — will have their own first-round pick in seven consecutive drafts from 2026-32.
Additionally, dishing this year’s first-round pick allows Indiana to avoid a potential roster logjam. After all, most of the Pacers’ rotation from this year’s NBA Finals team is under contract for next season. Finding playing time for a 2025 first-round pick might have proved difficult, especially considering the bind Indiana was already in to get rookie wing Johnny Furphy on the court this season.
As for King, 23, the Pelicans now have his draft rights. He has yet to play in the NBA. Once the 47th overall pick in the 2023 draft, King last played in the G League during the 2023-24 season. At the time, he appeared in 15 games for the Indiana Mad Ants. During 2024-25, King played professionally in Puerto Rico and in his native New Zealand.
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