Indiana Pacers: How does Donovan Mitchell impact the 2023 draft?
The Indiana Pacers and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants acquired a new player to join their organization earlier this week. After a slower news week, Donovan Mitchell was traded.
The Indiana Pacers and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants acquired a new player to join their organization earlier this week. After a slower news week, Donovan Mitchell was traded and impacted the Pacers’ inner workings.
Indiana continues to ramp up their offseason workouts as training camp draws nearer. Multiple players have been seen in the team’s practice facility with just over one month to the start of the preseason.
Monday — The Indiana Pacers join ties with an NBA legend. David Stockton, son of Hall of Famer John Stockton, will make his way to Indiana. The team’s G-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, made a trade to acquire him from the Memphis Hustle.
Stockton spent two seasons on the NBA stage for two different teams. One being the Sacramento Kings and the other being the Utah Jazz. His last season was during the 2017-18 campaign.
Stockton averaged 3.0 points and 1.5 assists in the six career games he appeared in over those two seasons. Last year, David reiterated his desire for NBA competition and his on-court abilities.
“I want NBA teams to know they’re going to get a guy who is going to work extremely hard for them,” Stockton said. “[I’ll] do everything for the betterment of the team, not myself. I just want to play the game.”
Donovan Mitchell was traded from the Utah Jazz this Thursday and will now head east to a division rival, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Per Woj, the full trade details are as follows: Mitchell to Cleveland for Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first-round picks, and two pick swaps.
Now, why does this matter to the Indiana Pacers?
Last season, Indiana made a trade with Cleveland to send out Caris LeVert, and in return, they received Ricky Rubio and a lottery-protected first-round draft pick. The Pacers were expecting that pick to convey last season, as, at the time of the trade, the Cavs were looking to be a playoff lock.
It works like this with lottery-protected picks — the team that places the protection on the selection (CLE) will keep that pick if they don’t make the playoffs (therefore being in the NBA draft lottery). The receiving team (IND) then won’t get the selection and has to wait for the following season to see if (CLE) will make the playoffs. If the Cavs don’t make it for the second straight year, the first-round pick turns into two second-round picks, which the Pacers do not want to happen.
So this trade directly impacts the Pacers in a non-direct way, ha. Mitchell makes the Cavs much better, and they already have a good young group in Mobely and Garland. Mobley will likely take a jump this season after a special rookie year and hopefully help lead Cleveland to a playoff birth. If that is the outcome, the Pacers will get an additional first-round draft pick this season to go along with their projected lottery pick for 2023.
A playoff birth would mean the Pacers have three first-round picks in the upcoming draft. One from Boston via the Malcolm Brogdon trade, one from Cleveland, and their own. This is a pretty good situation considering the state of this franchise. Even if the picks you get from Cleveland and Boston aren’t the greatest (likely), they can also be assets to move up in a draft or for another player.
That may not be the end of the Pacers picks to be acquired this off-season. Myles Turner and Buddy Hield were in trade talks with the Lakers, which could net them a first-round pick in a few seasons. The Indiana Pacers hold strong on their value for Turner as it is known that they want at least a first-round pick for the 26-year-old big man.
As we enter September, Pacers basketball is now just 32 days away. Until then, I will continue to cover what news there is during a slow-ish off-season. Thank you for reading, subscribing, and taking the time out of your day to hear what I have to say. I enjoy interacting with everyone on social and Substack and I hope you can enjoy this content.
Thank you and be well,
Zach