Pacers reacquire 2026 first-round choice in trade with Pelicans: Report
The Indiana Pacers are getting their 2026 first-round choice back, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.Charania reported Tuesday that the Pacers are trading their No. 23 choice this year– plus the rights to secure Mojave King, a 2023 second-round choice of the Los Angeles Lakers who’s been playing overseas– to the New Orleans Pelicans.Advertisement The Pelicans had actually formerly obtained the Pacers’2026 first-round pick, which Indiana initially traded to the Toronto Raptors in the offer for forward Pascal Siakam. The Raptors eventually sent the pick to the Pelicans in the Brandon Ingram trade earlier this year.New Orleans now has the No. 7 and No. 23 choices in this year’s NBA Draft. Indiana, meanwhile, has actually restored its 2026 draft capital.The mid-June trade happens following the Pacers’Video game 5 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals. Indiana now deals with
a 3-2 deficit in the series, with Game 6 set for Thursday night in Indianapolis.The relocation affords the Pelicans more ammunition to trade up in the draft, if they so choose, or they could use both first-round picks.Advertisement On the other hand, the Pacers will go their second straight draft without a first-round pick. That said, Indiana– which cleaned out almost$3.2 million in salary
cap space with the trade, per ESPN– will have their own first-round choice in 7 successive drafts from 2026-32. In addition, dishing this year’s first-round choice allows Indiana to prevent a potential lineup logjam. After all, the majority of the Pacers ‘rotation from this year’s Finals team is under contract for next season. Finding playing time for a 2025 first-round pick may have shown hard, especially considering the bind Indiana was currently in to get rookie wing Johnny Furphy on the court this season.As for King, 23, the Pelicans now have his draft rights. He has yet to play in the NBA. When the 47th general choice in the 2023 draft, King last played in the G League throughout the 2023-24 season. At the time, he appeared in 15 games for the Indiana Mad Ants
. Throughout 2024-25, King played professionally in Puerto Rico and in his native New Zealand.