The Top Four Possibilities in the Draft for the Pacers

The Indiana Pacers lost last night in a tank-off to the Memphis Grizzlies. They are sitting with a 52.1% chance, as of today, of getting a top 4 pick in the draft lottery. Let’s explore the top four possibilities in the upcoming draft for the Indiana Pacers.

Final. pic.twitter.com/skiy7RcT0l
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) March 2, 2026

Pick 1

Darryn Peterson of the Kansas Jayhawks. There has been a lot of debate about Peterson over the last couple of months. He is 6’6”, 205 lbs, and one of the most polished college basketball prospects to step on campus as a freshman. He can be a two-way defensive impact player. His fit with the Pacers’ up-tempo offense would be exceptional. He would give Haliburton a dynamic scoring guard to pair with in an already high-octane offense.

He averages 19.7 ppg, 3.8 reb, and 1.1 stl. His ability to be a three-level scorer makes him extremely dangerous to any defense the Pacers face. The risk with Peterson is that he hasn’t played a lot of games for Kansas this season due to a variety of injuries. He has finished the last handful of games lately, but it hasn’t produced winning.

Pick 2

Cameron Boozer would be my second pick for the Pacers. He may not have the 1A juice of Peterson or someone we will talk about later, but he would be the perfect big. Cam lacks a few things like vertical athletic pop and an array of post moves to score on the block. He also isn’t going to be a defensive stalwart for your team.

What Cam is going to bring day one he steps onto an NBA floor is leadership, toughness, and a genius-level processor of information. That translates exceptionally well in today’s NBA. He can be a hub for your offense. You can throw the ball into the high post and let him make reads off cutters to the basket. Cam is putting up impressive numbers in college.

He averages 22.5 ppg, 10 reb, 4 asts, and 1.7 stls as a freshman. He can stretch the floor, which will be required for the Pacers. He is shooting 40.2% from deep on decent volume, 3.7 attempts per game. I won’t bore you with all of the advanced analytics, but he is tops in almost every category in college.

Pick 3

This is the hardest decision to make between picking third and fourth. The reason being is I have the player I am putting forth higher on my big board, and he could possibly be my number one when the season ends. I think Caleb Wilson would be a better fit for the Pacers. He gives them an athletic, dynamic big that can play fast. He is an impact two-way player that would give the Pacers a great lift.

He impacts the game in so many ways. He doesn’t need the ball to thrive. 6’10”, 215 lbs with toughness and strength that you don’t expect from wire-thin guys. He will put on mass at the next level and be a menace. He is as versatile offensively as he is defensively. He can get buckets out of the low post, mid-post, or be a lob-threat monster. He can switch out on guards defensively and be more than just capable.

Wilson averages 19.8 ppg, 9.4 reb, 2.7 asts, 1.4 blks, and 1.5 stls. That is a stat stuffer if I ever saw one. He also takes his matchups personally. He has the ability to manufacture an edge that brings out sheer tenacity against his opponents.

Pick 4

AJ Dybantsa could very well be the number one pick in the draft. He is an absolute stud. He plays on the wing but handles the ball a ton for BYU. 6’9”, 210 lbs makes AJ a terror on the wing for defenders. He can handle the rock or post up. This makes him a matchup nightmare on switches against guards. He is extremely comfortable getting to his spots and just raising up and shooting over the top of smaller defenders.

He averages 24.9 ppg, 6.8 rebs, 3.7 asts, and 1.1 stls. This is elite-level offensive production. He is a work in progress from the three-point line but still does enough to keep the defense honest, shooting 36.3% on 3.9 attempts per game.

You must be wondering how I have him fourth on this list. Well, to me you can’t have two head chefs in the kitchen. He boasts an insane usage rate of 32%, and that is with a good point guard at BYU in Rob Wright. Haliburton is the conductor on this train, and AJ needs the ball to be impactful. You could make it work, especially on fast breaks. You can never have enough elite players, but sometimes it’s better for the team to have another high-level cog that fits.

No matter where the ping-pong balls fall, the Pacers are walking away from this draft with real firepower. When Haliburton returns, the excuses are gone. The next phase is about winning, and this class gives them the ammunition to do it.