Pacers Draft Grades: Rating every pick in the 2023 NBA Draft

The Pacers came out of the 2023 NBA Draft getting the guy they wanted in Jarace Walker along with a few extra assets after trading early.

The Indiana Pacers are a team on the rise. I would have loved if they ended up trading a bunch of their picks for a veteran wing this offseason but that door closed due to the fact that teams weren’t offering their 3-and-D wings.

With that in mind, the Pacers had a very nice draft that will help them to add to their core going forward.

Pacers NBA Draft: Jarace Walker, Pick No. 8

Grade: A-

The Pacers traded back to let Washington have Bilal Couibaly at No. 7 while picking up Walker at No. 8.

Walker is a very good prospect who will certainly excite fans with his athleticism. The only reason that I am giving the Pacers a bit of a low grade is the fact that this team could have gotten a wing for cheap. Going into this draft, the team had a chance to do this. After drafting Walker, it seems like that is not gonna happen.

I would have loved Walker a lot more if he was more of a scoring threat by himself. Still, he will be used very well by Haliburton and the rest of the team.

The Pacers would have been really interesting if they traded for a wing with this pick. Still, I like this pick a lot as it seems Walker has a chance to be a solid starter in the NBA. I am bumping their grade due to the fact that they picked up extra assets while getting the player they wanted. Indiana is a very interesting team to watch going forward.

Pacers NBA Draft: Ben Sheppard, Pick No. 26

Grade: C+

Ben Sheppard is one of the best shooters in the draft. Still, I am really worried about his defensive issues. If he only plays bench minutes, then he might be able to get by.

Still, this is a player who will need to improve a lot to be a starting player in the league.

Sheppard is a solid player. However, it would be surprising to see if he will be able to command major bench minutes this season. If he is able to, then this pick makes a lot of sense and I will eat these words. Until then, this is the grade.

Pacers NBA Draft: Mojave King, Pick No. 47

Grade: C

The Pacers traded the No. 40 pick to the Lakers for the No. 47 pick and cash.

Trading a pick for cash will always be frowned upon. These teams are owned by billionaires and when they trade for no other reason than cash, it makes no sense. I understand why the GM would do it because he is on a mandate by the owner. Still, the owner is at fault.

This doesn’t really say anything about King as a prospect. He could end up being a solid low-key role player for any team. Due to the fact that the Pacers traded back, they went out of the top forty-five into the spot where teams generally are relying on one scout’s opinion.

The scout usually has a really great opinion on the player but still, these are lower-rated assets obviously outside of the Top 15 in the second round. I really hope that King has a long NBA career as a role player but the low grade here stays regardless of the prospect due to the reason

Pacers NBA Draft: Isaiah Wong, Pick No. 55

Grade: B+

For what it is worth, Isaiah Wong is a very nice pick for the Pacers. He is a very good shooter and that could help the team going forward.

Wong could end up playing a couple of seasons in the league due to his three-point shooting. He will not be able to be a high-level rotational player but he could get some minutes off the bench.

He is very small which will hurt massively on the next level. He can also create his own shot going forward. If he develops beyond his size in the G-League for a couple of years he has a chance.