Jarace Walker And The Pacers Make A Beautiful Match

I was fortunate enough to attend the NBA Draft on July 22, and one key thing I noted during the event was the immediate chatter that began circling when it was reported that Washington and Indiana had made their draft day deal.

Washington, absolutely desperate to select Bilal Coulibaly, traded up to No. 7 and relinquished their own pick at No. 8, as well as second-round compensation to the Indiana Pacers.

That meant, very clearly, that the Pacers were able to get their guy - Jarace Walker - at a lower draft slot, while also receiving assets in return.

Seated immediately below the VIP section, which was filled to the brim with fans, the buzz of the moment was how Indiana had "robbed" the Wizards.

It was no secret Indiana wanted Walker, which begs the question of why Washington felt the need to trade up, to begin with.

Had the Pacers threatened to take Coulibaly in front of them? If so, you'd have to wonder why the Wizards didn't call their bluff. More than likely, the Pacers would have picked Walker at 7th and never thought twice about it.

Why do I feel so confident about that? It's pretty simple. Of all the optimal situations between player and team, Walker to Indiana ranks as second behind Victor Wembanyama going to San Antonio.

The Pacers, who have Tyrese Haliburton at the point, Myles Turner at the five, and a combo of Bennedict Mathurin and Buddy Hield at off-guards, needed a big, physical, intelligent, two-way power forward.

Now, do note that the Pacers didn't pick for need here. It just so happened that the best player on the board also filled a significant need of theirs.

Walker is going to be able to roam free defensively, having Turner close to the basket as an insurance policy. He'll be able to rotate over from the weak side to block shots or fill passing lanes, not to mention he'll have ample opportunity to help out on the glass.

Offensively, he'll push the ball off of rebounds, and dare defenders to stop his 240-pound frame at full speed. He can take the ball into the paint on his own accord, and he has the necessary court vision to make the right passing reads on the run, and in half-court sets.

One might look at his somewhat modest line of 11.2 points and 6.8 rebounds with skepticism, but rest assured, his impact was levels above his statistical accomplishments. Walker played alongside Marcus Sasser, who scored almost 17 points per game, and he competed for rebounds with both J'Wan Roberts (7.7) and Tramon Mark (4.9).

Instead of dominating on the stat sheet, Walker decided to fill gaps and carve out a role as a do-it-all player, which is an invaluable skill for the next level.

It was a complete home run for the Pacers, and they now sport a roster greatly suited to maximize the efforts of Haliburton. Look for Indiana to become a much-improved team next season.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

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