2017-2018 was a fun season for the Indiana Pacers. Victor Oladipo’s breakout campaign was one of the better stories across the league and, in conjunction, the Pacers overachieved in comparison to any rational expectation.
Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if the Pacers can build on that considerable success but Indiana has the flexibility to do so. While the franchise isn’t blessed with overwhelming capital in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Pacers do have two picks (No. 23 and No. 50 overall) in which to add talent to the roster and a variety of avenues to potentially pursue in free agency.
Cory Joseph recently elected to pick up his player option and remain in Indiana, giving the Pacers one solid guard option alongside Oladipo. However, there is still some uncertainty surrounding the rest of Indiana’s perimeter rotation and that extends to a potential need for versatile, talented players at the forward spots.
Indiana could go in a number of directions in the draft but here are six options that would make sense, either at No. 23 or No. 50 overall.
- Keita Bates-Diop – PF/SF, Ohio State – There is some skepticism surrounding Bates-Diop, largely based on his relatively limited athletic profile. Still, he is a talented, versatile forward that can do a lot of everything. That is the kind of player that Indiana certainly could use right now and in the future.
- Isaac Bonga – SF, Germany – Bonga isn’t a factor in the first round (at least for me) but, at 6’9 and possessing some point guard skills, he’s a wildly intriguing upside play. It is probably too soon to expect Bonga to play in an NBA game next season but, if the Pacers want to stash their second round pick, he would be a perfect candidate.
- Chandler Hutchison – SF, Boise State – Hutchison is an offense-first marksman that rocketed up draft boards during his final college season. He had the ball in his hands a lot at Boise State but, in the NBA, he profiles as a supporting talent that will help an offense and he can stick around rotations if he defends adequately.
- Aaron Holiday – PG, UCLA – The Pacers may not prioritize point guard, especially if they plan to bring back Darren Collison. Holiday would be a tremendous value at No. 23, though, and he is NBA-ready after a strong stint at UCLA. In addition, keep an eye on Jalen Brunson under the same premise.
- Justin Jackson – PF/SF, Maryland – Jackson has his fans and his detractors, both with good reason. He was very intriguing a year ago as a hyper-versatile forward with defensive upside but his most recent campaign at Maryland was a nightmare. Jackson might “deserve” to fall to No. 50 but he could pop in a way that most second rounders cannot.
- Khyri Thomas – SG/PG, Creighton – Thomas is probably best as a third guard in the NBA, using his 6’10 wingspan defensively and his floor-spacing ability to play off the ball. That might not be a perfect fit with Indiana’s current backcourt but Oladipo has the ball quite a bit and Thomas could be a nice running mate for him on both ends of the floor.
