We have an NBA trade. No, not the one everyone is waiting on involving Kevin Durant. Instead, the Indiana Pacers are sending the No. 23 pick in next week’s draft to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for their own 2026 first-round pick. Indiana is also sending the rights to Mojave King, a 2023 second-round draft pick who has yet to play in the NBA, to the Pelicans.
On the surface, this may look like a head-scratching trade. We don’t typically see a team currently competing in the NBA Finals conducting any other business. In fact, the only reason this trade is legal is because it doesn’t involve any rostered players. But digging further into the details, it makes a ton of sense on both sides. Let’s break down why each side did this deal and look at the advantages it could lead to down the line.
Why the Pacers did this deal
Pacers get:
- 2026 first-round pick (Indiana’s own)
It’s fair to wonder why Indiana traded a first-round pick in next week’s draft for the rights to their own pick next year, but there are a couple reasons this makes sense. First, assuming the team plans on re-signing Myles Turner, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, it guarantees the team will be paying the luxury tax for the first time since the 2005-06 season, which they’re reportedly fine doing to keep Turner in Indiana. Trading away the No. 23 pick in this year’s draft shaves roughly $3.2 million off that tax bill, which is what the 23rd pick in the NBA Draft would be making next year. It’s not much of a savings, but with a restrictive CBA that harshly penalizes teams the closer they get to that first and second tax apron, every dollar counts.
The other part of this deal that makes sense for Indiana is that giving up this year’s first-round pick and acquiring the rights back to their own 2026 pick now unlocks the ability for the Pacers to trade up to four first-round picks between 2026 and 2032. The pick that the Pacers owed the Pelicans was top-4 protected for 2026 and 2027, meaning that Indiana could only trade picks in 2029 and 2031. But by getting the rights back on the 2026 pick, Indiana can now trade first-round picks in 2026, 2028, 2030, and 2032.
The ability to trade four-first round picks puts the Pacers in great position to make either one major move down the line to keep retooling around this championship-contending roster or make several smaller transactions with the same goal. Either way, the Pacers will have a ton of flexibility in terms of draft assets to remain a competitive team in the Eastern Conference.
Why the Pelicans did this deal
Pelicans get:
- No. 23 pick in 2025 NBA Draft
- Rights to Mojave King
There are probably many Pelicans fans right now wondering why their team traded a future first-round pick for another pick in this year’s draft. I get it, asset accumulation in this league should always be top priority for teams who aren’t contending. But this was a smart decision on New Orleans’ part. This year’s draft is loaded with talent, and by now owning the No. 7 and No. 23 pick in the first round, the Pelicans can immediately add talent to a roster that could look a bit different by the start of next season. And given the likelihood that Indiana could make another deep run in the postseason next year, this pick likely would’ve landed in the same range, so there’s not too much to gripe about there.
More importantly, by owning two first-round picks in next week’s draft, perhaps the Pelicans use them to trade up. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported Tuesday that New Orleans is “highly intrigued” by the possibility of drafting Ace Bailey, who has recently slid down draft boards due to his unwillingness to work out for several teams in an effort to land somewhere that can guarantee him a “clear pathway to stardom.” Bailey is expected to have a workout with the Philadelphia 76ers, who draft No. 3 and are open to shopping the pick. Perhaps the Pelicans could offer the Sixers a deal that would start with the two picks they now have in the first round. It would almost certainly take more than just those two picks to get Philadelphia to move down, so perhaps they’d be moving someone like Herbert Jones to get it done. New Orleans has previously maintained that they aren’t interested in moving Jones, but would landing the No. 3 pick be enough to part ways with their All-Defensive forward?
With the uncertainty around Zion Williamson’s future in New Orleans, this may be an opportunity for the Pelicans to add a top-end talent like Bailey to build around going forward. Bailey is probably the most raw of the guys at the top of the draft board, but also has a ton of upside as someone who can score off the bounce and defend, all while being built like the prototypical NBA wing. He can be the perfect escape hatch for a Pelicans team that has underdelivered in the Zion era.
Both sides of this deal look like a win-win scenario. What will be interesting to watch now is to see what each team does next after this trade.
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