Indiana Pacers to bring in Taylor Hendricks and Jarace Walker for individual workouts on June 7
The Indiana Pacers will perform two separate individual pre-draft workouts on Wednesday, June 7.
The two players that the team will bring in are both projected to be selected inside the top-10 according to most draft experts. The first workout will be performed by Central Florida forward Taylor Hendricks and the second by Houston forward Jarace Walker.
Hendricks could be the prototypical three-and-D wing in the pros. He canned 39.4% of his triples in college and took 155 shots from beyond the arc. His defensive stats are extremely impressive, and his foot speed let him stay in front of ball handlers for the Golden Knights. There's a strong argument to be made that he would fit on every single NBA team. He averaged 15.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game this past season.
That's why The Ringer's latest mock draft has Hendricks going to the Pacers, he is an excellent prospect and would be a good fit. Indiana needs forwards, too, a fact that head coach Rick Carlisle noted after the season ended.
"Everybody wants a four man that has length. That can guard multiple positions. That can shoot threes and make plays," Carlisle said. Hendricks may not be a playmaker, especially right away, but he fits most of those descriptions and would be a boon for the Pacers.
Hendricks will work out in the morning. After him will be another forward that the blue and gold could consider near the top of the draft in Walker.
Walker, unlike Hendricks, was available to the media at the NBA Draft combine, where he revealed that he had a meeting with the Pacers scheduled. He would also be a strong fit with the team, something he acknowledged at the combine.
"I definitely can see myself fitting into the program. Especially with high-level playmakers like Haliburton and the skill set that Mathurin has. They have Myles Turner too," Walker said of the Pacers. "So they definitely have a good group, I feel like I could definitely fit right in."
As noted above, Carlisle said that Indiana needs a four man, and Walker could be that. His defense is impressive, as is his ability to guard multiple positions. He isn't the level of shooter that Hendricks is, but his IQ and decision making allow him to stand out on offense. In general, his bruising frame is imposing.
Walker averaged 11.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in his lone season at Houston. He knocked down just shy of 35% of his threes.
Both players are fascinating considerations for the Pacers because of their talent and fit. This is a great situation for the team where the best available prospects could also play a position of need, and Walker and Hendricks are two guys who fit that mold.
They will be the second and third prospects to work out for the Pacers in an individual session. Villanova's Cam Whitmore was first.
The Pacers currently own picks seven, 26, 29, 32, and 55 in the late-June draft. They could be a team to watch in the coming weeks. In the meantime, they will continue their draft homework by working out multiple players. Their next two workouts will be with two gripping prospects in Hendricks and Walker.
- Which NBA Draft prospects have worked out for the Indiana Pacers in 2023? CLICK HERE.
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- Tyrese Haliburton is learning from the NBA playoffs as he hopes to take Indiana Pacers there soon. CLICK HERE.
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