What early NBA Mock Drafts say the Indiana Pacers could do with their early pick on draft night
The NBA Draft isn't until June 22, but with the calendar flipping to May, the draft will begin to take center stage for eliminated teams. The draft lottery is in just over two weeks, as is the NBA Draft combine.
The Indiana Pacers have the seventh-best draft lottery odds after winning a tiebreaker with the Washington Wizards, so they could pick anywhere from 1-4 or 7-11 with their best selection. Who they pick in that spot will have a massive bearing on the success of the next era of Pacers basketball.
If they jump up to number one overall, the selection is obvious. Victor Wembanyama is the prize of this draft. But after that, Indiana could go a number of directions. The early mock drafts reflect that. Below you can find a roundup of what five major mock drafts suggest the Pacers could end up doing in 52 days.
ESPN (Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo): Pacers select Villanova wing Cam Whitmore seventh overall.
Whitmore is a ferocious athlete and talented scorer, and he can play multiple positions. He could be a good fit with the Pacers on the wing, though he will have to improve his off ball skills if he ends up with the blue and gold.
NBC Sports Washington (Tyler Byrum and Chase Hughes): Pacers select Kansas wing Gradey Dick seventh overall.
Dick was efficient for the Jayhawks this past season and had a quality steal rate as well. He has a solid baseline of skills before the NBA, and Indiana has needed a sweet-shooting forward for years.
CBS Sports on April 20: Pacers select Overtime Elite wing Ausar Thompson eighth overall (Kyle Boone) or Baylor guard Keyonte George sixth overall (Gary Parrish).
George is a solid defender but struggled with his efficiency as a freshman with the Bears. Thompson, meanwhile, is a taller perimeter player that averaged 16.3 points per game this past season in the fairly new Overtime Elite league.
USA Today Sports RookieWire (Cody Taylor): Pacers select Overtime Elite wing Ausar Thompson eighth overall.
The second listing for the Pacers and Thompson. Thompson has a twin brother, Amen, who is also an excellent prospect in this draft cycle too. Ausar won the Overtime Elite title in 2021-22 with the City Reapers, averaging 21.0 points per game in the playoffs.
Bleacher Report (Jonanthan Wasserman): Pacers selected Central Florida forward Taylor Hendricks sixth overall.
Hendricks would fit extremely well with the Pacers as a potential three-and-D wing, and that skillset is craved by every team in the NBA. He projects to be better on the defensive end than on offense, though Hendricks is a talented prospect on both sides of the ball.
Between the listed players in these mock drafts as well as Amen Thompson, Jarace Walker, and a few others, there will be plenty of options for the Pacers on draft night.
- Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle on the 2023 NBA Draft class: 'Looks good to me'. CLICK HERE.
- Who are the Indiana Pacers free agents in 2023? CLICK HERE.
- Indiana Pacers exit interviews: Bennedict Mathurin didn't accomplish what he wanted to in his rookie season. That should encourage the Pacers. CLICK HERE.
- Indiana Pacers win random draft drawing over Washington Wizards, see unwelcomed results elsewhere. CLICK HERE.
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