Indiana Pacers Trade 2026 First-Round Pick to New Orleans Pelicans for Salary Cap Space and Flexibility
The Indiana Pacers have made a significant move in their draft strategy, as per the latest report from ESPN's Shams Charania. The Pacers have traded their 2026 first-round pick, along with the rights to guard Mojave King, a 2023 second-round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers who has been playing overseas, to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Pelicans had previously acquired the Pacers' 2026 first-round pick in a deal with the Toronto Raptors for forward Pascal Siakam. The Raptors then sent the pick to the Pelicans in the Brandon Ingram trade earlier this year. With this latest trade, New Orleans now holds the Nos. 7 and 23 picks in this year's NBA Draft, giving them more flexibility to potentially trade up or use both first-round picks to their advantage.
On the other hand, the Pacers will go into their second straight draft without a first-round pick. However, the trade has cleared nearly $3.2 million in salary cap space for Indiana, per ESPN. This allows the Pacers to avoid a potential roster logjam, as most of their rotation from this year's NBA Finals team is under contract for next season. Finding playing time for a 2025 first-round pick might have proved difficult, especially considering the bind Indiana was already in to get rookie wing Johnny Furphy on the court this season.
As for King, the 23-year-old now has his draft rights with the Pelicans. He has yet to play in the NBA, but was last seen playing in the G League during the 2023-24 season, appearing in 15 games for the Indiana Mad Ants. During 2024-25, King played professionally in Puerto Rico and in his native New Zealand.
The mid-June trade takes place following the Pacers' Game 5 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, with Indiana now facing a 3-2 deficit in the series and Game 6 set for Thursday night in Indianapolis. This move by the Pacers can be seen as a strategic one, as they look to rebuild their draft capital and avoid any potential roster issues while still maintaining a competitive edge in the upcoming season.
The Pacers' decision to trade their future draft picks and King's rights can be seen as a bold move to clear salary cap space and potentially improve their chances of landing a valuable player in this year's draft. With their current roster already under contract for next season, the Pacers are looking to avoid any potential issues that could arise from having too many players under contract while also trying to maintain their competitive edge in the upcoming season.
In conclusion, the Indiana Pacers' latest move in their draft strategy is a strategic one that aims to clear salary cap space and rebuild their draft capital while also avoiding any potential roster issues. The move also gives them more flexibility to potentially trade up or use both first-round picks to their advantage in this year's NBA Draft.
