Every Pacers Draft Pick from the Last 5 Years and Where They Are Now

When you think of the Indiana Pacers draft history you're left feeling underwhelmed. The Pacers have either been too good to have a solid pick, or they've failed to find a long-term answer when picking higher.

Indiana's best success has surprisingly come in the second round of the NBA Draft during this five-year stretch. The best player they have drafted came from the second round in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Here is a look at the Pacers last five year's of NBA Draft history and where they're at now.

Pacers Draft History: Where are they now?

2021 NBA Draft: Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson
Chris Duarte
Isaiah Jackson
2022 NBA Draft: Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, Kendall Brown
Bennedict Mathurin
Andrew Nembhard
Kendall Brown
2023 NBA Draft: Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard, Isaiah Wong, Mojave King
Jarace Walker
Ben Sheppard
Mojave King
Isaiah Wong
2024 NBA Draft: Johnny Furphy, Enrique Freeman, Tristan Newton
Johnny Furphy
Enrique Freeman
Tristen Newton
2025 NBA Draft: Kam Jones and Taelon Peter
Kam Jones
Taelon Peter

2021 NBA Draft: Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson

Chris Duarte

With the 13th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft the Indiana Pacers took 24 year old Chris Duarte out of Oregon. With a win-now team, Indiana went with a proven college player instead of drafting for upside here.

Duarte's debut was the best for a rookie in Pacers franchise history. He went 9-15 from the field, 6-9 from three, and scored 27 points total. The Pacers went on to lose the game 123-122, but it felt like all the worries of drafting a 24 year old rookie were out the window.

He finished the season appearing in 55 games (starting in 39), and averaged 13 points per game. During his rookie year he suffered a big toe injury against the Timberwolves that held him out for 4-6 and he never got back to his strong start.

In his sophomore season he struggled early on but had a breakout 30-point game against the Brooklyn Nets on the road. In the next game against the Miami Heat he landed on Kyle Lowry and suffered a Grade 2 right ankle sprain and was held out for 4-6 weeks. He was able to return from injury but missed the final 13 games with left ankle soreness.

After His Time with the Pacers

Indiana traded him to Sacramento to reunite with Domantas Sabonis in the offseason and it helped pave the way for the Pacers to acquire Obi Toppin from the New York Knicks. Duarte's minutes were cut in half with Sacramento, his scoring went from 7.9 points to 3.9 per game. After an unsuccessful stint in Sacramento he was shipped to Chicago in a three-team deal that landed the Kings DeMar DeRozan.

Duarte appeared in just 17 games for the Bulls before he was waived at the NBA Trade Deadline.

Post NBA Career

This was the last time Duarte would sniff the NBA court and he moved overseas to play with the Vaqueros de Bayamón in Puerto Rico. Duarte joined fellow former NBA players Danilo Gallinari and JaVale McGee to help Vaqueros de Bayamón win their 17th championship.

In the summer of 2025 Duarte signed with Unicaja Málaga. He spent one year with the team but was suspended for 10 games. At the conclusion of the season he was no longer with the team and in July of 2026 he signed with Kosner Baskonia of the EuroLeague.

Isaiah Jackson

I Jax — Sep 27, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson (23) poses for a photo during media day. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Isaiah Jackson was the 22nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. In a draft-day trade the Indiana Pacers were able to move up into the first round and select the atheltic big man from Kentucky.

Jackson spent the first four years for the Pacers alternating as the backup and third-string center. He suffered a torn Achilles in the 2024-25 season against the New Orleans Pelicans and missed the remainder of the Pacers most-magical season.

The following offseason Indiana signed Jackson to a 3-year, $21 million contract. He earned the starting center position with the departure of Myles Turner but was used in a trade at the NBA Trade Deadline for Ivica Zubac.

After being deal, Jackson missed the last 8 games of the season with an injury. But as the Clippers shift focus to their new-look squad that is building around Darius Garland and Brandon Ingram, Jackson is set to be in the mix with their center rotation, but likely in a backup role.

2022 NBA Draft: Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, Kendall Brown

Bennedict Mathurin

Indiana entered the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery with the 5th worst record in the league but fell to the 6th spot in the draft. It was then when Indiana selected the athletic Arizona guard-forward, Bennedict Mathurin, envisioning a future backcourt of he and Tyrese Haliburton for many years to come.

Before handing the starting job to Benn, Coach Carlisle utilized him as a key factor off the Pacers' bench. He took the opportunity and ran with it, showcasing his incredible knack for scoring. In his first three games he already crossed the 25-point threshold twice.

His biggest performance as a rookie came against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in 122-119 loss. He scored 32 points on 8-16 shooting, but went 6-9 from three and 10-10 from the free throw line. Mathurin was atop the Rookie of the Year leaderboard for the first half of the season, but as his play started to cool off so did his Rookie of the Year buzz.

Indiana gave Mathurin a chance to start his second season with the franchise. But after 12 games as a starter, Rick Carlisle elected to put him back on the bench to find a better-fitting two guard next to Tyrese Haliburton. Mathurin would find himself as the team's bench scoring wing the remainder of his time in Indiana.

In that role, Mathurin played a pivotal part in the Pacers 2025 NBA Finals run. In the Pacers Game 3 victory of the NBA Finals, he scored 27 points in 22 minutes. And his never-quit attitude gave Indiana a punchers chance in Game 7 after the team fell behind double-digits with Haliburton sidelined.

After 3.5 seasons for the Pacers he joined Isaiah Jackson as a part of the Ivica Zubac trade. Indiana saw Mathurin grow into a well-rounded player but couldn't give him the starting spot he desired. He's currently a restricted free agent and looking for a new deal with the Clippers or another team.

Andrew Nembhard

Without question, Andrew Nembhard is the best pick in Kevin Pritchard's tenure. He was the 31st pick of the 2022 NBA Draft and was viewed as the team's third-string point guard that would learn behind T.J. McConnell.

After working his tail off in practices and training camp, Rick Carlisle struggled keeping Nembhard out of the rotation. He was a DNP-Coach's Decision in game one of the season, but played 30 minutes in the next game against the Spurs. By the ninth game of the season he found himself as a starter for the remainder of the season.

Coming into his second season he was asked to be the team's backup point guard to Tyrese Haliburton, and T.J. McConnell was expected to slide into the third-string role. After the first ten games Nembhard really struggled in the backup point guard role and Coach Carlisle had to give that responsibility back to McConnell.

Nembhard would re-enter the starting lineup after tinkering with several different lineup combinations and solidified himself as a core piece of this team. In the summer of 2024 Nembhard received a three-year extension worth $59 million. He has two years left under contract and is expected to play a pivotal role in their quest back to the NBA Finals.

Kendall Brown

Indiana acquired the draft rights to Kendall Brown in a draft-day trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Brown signed 2 two-way contracts with the Pacers before being elevated to a standard contract in March of 2024. On October 15, 2024, Indiana elected to waive Brown and he signed a two-way deal with the Long Island Nets. He later signed a two-way deal with the Brooklyn Nets but never appeared in a game for them before he was waived.

In the following offseason, Brown joined the Boston Celtics Summer League team on an Exhibit-10 contract and was waived with Jalen Bridges and Wendall Moore Jr. on October 16th. Brown then signed with the Celtics G-League affiliate, the Maine Celtics. He averaged 15.7 points, and 4.7 rebounds per game.

2023 NBA Draft: Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard, Isaiah Wong, Mojave King

Jarace Walker

Jarace Walker was the 8th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft after the Indiana Pacers made a draft-day trade with the Washington Wizards to save a few extra dollars by moving back one spot and getting two second-round picks.

Walker played in just 33 games his rookie season, but with Indiana loaded at the four spot after making trades to acquire Obi Toppin and Pascal Siakam, he changed from a four to a three. He was able to get into 75 games in 2024-25 and 76 games in 2025-26.

Last season Walker took a major jump going from a 6.1 points per game scorer to 11.6. This was Indiana's worst season in franchise history, but it allowed for Walker to get some much needed experience to grow and learn as a player.

Now, Walker enters his fourth year with the team and he will be fighting for a spot in the rotation with fellow draftmate Ben Sheppard. Both Sheppard and Walker are in the final year of their rookie contracts, and will be restricted free agents next offseason.

Ben Sheppard

The shooting guard out of Belmont skyrocketed into the first round after many assumed he'd be a second-round pick.

Indiana was eager to get their hands on the sharpshooter, but suprisingly his career has been less about the shooting and more about the defense. During the Pacers two deep playoff runs, Sheppard worked his way into the rotation and was solid as could be in both.

Now, Sheppard finds himself in a familiar situation. He is on the outside looking in of the rotation to start the year, but his ability to stay healthy and fit into what the team is asking of him has earned him the trust of the coaching staff previously.

The Pacers will have to make some tough decisions in the 2027 offseason if Walker and Sheppard aren't moved by the NBA Trade Deadline. Restricted free agency has all but died under the new CBA and players have struggled to land money they're seeking.

Mojave King

Indiana went into the 2023 NBA Draft with way too many picks and Kevin Pritchard mentioned in a postseason press conference that the team would not be making all of these picks.

With the 47th overall pick, Indiana elected to take Mojave King from the G-League Ignite with the plans to draft-and-stash him since they didn't have the roster spot for him. He signed a deal with the Indiana Mad Ants and played 15 games for them.

Since he never signed a deal with the Pacers, they kept his draft rights, Those were later traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, and then the Pelicans traded them to the Houston Rockets. Since his short stint in the G-League with Indiana in 2023-24, he has played for a handful of teams overseas.

In 2024-25 he played with the New Zealand Breakers. The next season he signed with Cangrejeros de Santurce but left the team after just playing in 7 games. After his short stint there, he signed with Tauranga Whai and scored 43 points in a 98-88 loss to the Southland Sharks. He then signed with Cairns Taipans of the NBL for the 2025-26 season. He is now signed with the Mykonos B.C. of the Greek Basketball League.

Isaiah Wong

Wong was the fourth and final pick for the Pacers in the 2023 NBA Draft. He was selected 55th overall after a terrific college career with the Miami Hurricaines. Indiana signed Wong to a two-way contract and he spent most of his season with the Mad Ants.

After a year with Indiana he was waived and joined the Utah Jazz' G-League affiliate the Salt Lake City Stars. During his time in Salt Lake City, the Charlotte Hornets signed Wong to a two-way deal where he spent time with the Hornets and their G-League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm.

Wong was waived by Charlotte in the middle of February and signed with the Lithuanian club, Žalgiris Kaunas. He signed a three-year deal with the team but as he fell out of the rotation he asked that his contract be terminated so he could play elsewhere.

Wong found a team to play with in the Liga ACB called Gran Canaria but is now an unrestricted free agent looking for a new club.

2024 NBA Draft: Johnny Furphy, Enrique Freeman, Tristan Newton

Johnny Furphy

Indiana traded the 35th overall pick and cash considerations to the San Antonio Spurs for the 34th overall pick and selected Kansas Jayhawk forward, Johnny Furphy.

His rookie season was spent on the outside of the rotation, just appearing in 359 total minutes. The Pacers loved his build and work ethic and saw a drastic jump from him in year one to year two. He stepped up to the plate when opportunities presented itself and he became a key rotation piece in the Pacers gap-year.

Furphy tore his ACL in early February and is on the road to recovery now. He is expected to play this upcoming season at some point but there is no timetable for his return. The Australian wing is under contract for the next two seasons with a team option for next year.

Enrique Freeman

Indiana selected the Akron Zip with the 50th overall pick in 2024 and signed him to a two-way contract.

Freeman showed flashes of a solid two-way big with the ability to rebound the basketball and play with a ton of energy. Unfortunately, for an undersized big, the Pacers felt that Freeman was not a part of their long-term plans and let him go in the offseason of 2025.

He signed a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves on August 1, 2025 and is still a part of their organization today.

Tristen Newton

The Pacers took the UConn Husky with the 49th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and signed him to a two-way contract.

On January 1st, Indiana felt that Newton wasn't the right fit with their team and waived him. In a subsequent move, they signed RayJ Dennis to a two-way deal.

Newton was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Timberwolves and spent the rest of the season with them. He was later waived by the team but picked up by their G-League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves.

In January of 2026, Newton was signed by the Houston Rockets on a two-way deal and is still currently with the franchise.

2025 NBA Draft: Kam Jones and Taelon Peter

Kam Jones

The San Antonio Spurs selected Kam Jones with the 38th pick and traded him to the Indiana Pacers.

Instead of signing him to a two-way deal the Pacers decided to sign him to a standard contract for four seasons, with a partial guarantee in year two. Things got off to a rocky start in Jones' rookie season, and never really smoothed out. Jones was able to make his Pacers debut in December after missing a significant amount of time with a back injury.

During the Pacers 19-63 season, Jones really struggled to showcase why he deserved to be around for another season, and the Pacers decided to trade him to the Chicago Bulls on the second-night of the 2026 NBA Draft for Braden Smith.

After being acquired by Chicago, the team waived him before his contract became fully guaranteed and he signed a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason. This is a nice homecoming of the Marquette standout.

Taelon Peter

Peter was selected with the 54th pick out of Liberty and became one of the most fascinating draft stories in recent Pacers' history.

He was signed to a two-way contract and played for the Pacers Summer League teams in both 2025 and 2026. After signing Kobe Brown and Jalen Slawson to two-way contracts, Indiana felt it was best to move on from Peter and waived him.

After a handful of days on the open market, the San Antonio Spurs signed Peter to an Exhibit-10 deal. Peter will go through Spurs Training Camp and will likely sign with the Spurs G-League affiliate, the Austin Spurs.

Indiana didn't have a draft pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after trading them both away. However, they did get back into the draft by trading Kam Jones for Braden Smith who is still unsigned by the team.

Out of the last five drafts (excluding the 2026 draft), Indiana has selected 14 players and only 4 remain: Andrew Nembhard, Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy.

The NBA Draft is a shot in the dark and finding the right players for your franchise is harder than it looks. Indiana has a mixed bag of good and bad picks over the last five years, but they've been able to find a terrific starting two next to Haliburton in Nembhard, turned their investment in Mathurin and Jackson into Ivica Zubac, and are still believers that Furphy and Walker can make steps.

The Pacers have not made a first-round pick the last two seasons and with a two-year championship window ahead of them, moving their 2027 first-round draft pick is a possibility. However, it wouldn't hurt Indiana to add another player to their fading youth pipeline.

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