NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 21: Aaron Holiday poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted 23rd overall by the Indiana Pacers during the 2018 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 21, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
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INDIANAPOLIS – As May approaches its conclusion, NBA teams are finalizing their pre-draft preparation ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft. For the Indiana Pacers, the last steps of that process are unique.
That’s because the Pacers, thanks to a 2021 trade that sent away their 2026 second-round draft pick and a February move in which they dealt their 2026 first rounder, are one of just two teams (Portland Trail Blazers) that don’t have any selections in the 2026 draft. Indiana could have owned a selection inside the top four had the draft lottery gone a different way, but the franchise didn’t get lucky.
Even without a pick, the Pacers want to learn more about any prospects that they can. There’s a chance they sign one as an undrafted free agent. Some of them could end up on their G League affiliate team. Others who end up in the NBA with other squads could be available in the future, and in that case more intel is better than less. And, of course, they could always trade for a pick in either round.
With those benefits in mind, the Pacers are having prospects come work out in their practice facility ahead of the draft next month. So far, none of them have been highly touted – most project to be selected later in the second round at best. But the Pacers are doing their due diligence and getting in front of as many upcoming rookies as possible.
How are the Pacers preparing for the draft without a pick?
“Each team is a tad different,” former Indiana Hoosiers forward Tucker DeVries said of what teams are looking for in the pre-draft process after a workout with Indiana. “But I think (the Pacers) value guys that enjoy basketball and know how to play basketball the right way.”
So far, 12 players have come to the St. Vincent Center to work out for the Pacers and get facetime with team executives. Six of them are ranked inside ESPN’s top 100 prospects for this draft cycle, though five of those six are ranked 78th or lower.
The lone exception is Houston’s Emanuel Sharp, who ESPN has ranked 45th. He’s also the only one of the dozen players who have worked out for the Pacers so far that is currently projected to be selected – ESPN’s latest mock draft has Sharp being picked 56th overall.
“Not really,” Sharp said when asked if it crosses his mind that he’s working out for a team without a draft pick. “Everywhere you go, you’re being evaluated. That’s how I approach it. It’s not whether the team has a draft pick.”
KANSAS CITY, MO – MARCH 15: Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) smiles after making a three in the second half of a Big 12 tournament semifinal game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Houston Cougars on Mar 15, 2024 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Workouts will continue for the Pacers in the coming week. Despite not presently owning a pick, they could acquire one – and they’ve been an active trade team in recent drafts. In both 2025 and 2024, they traded into the second round or moved up within it while not possessing a first-round selection. They’ve moved second-round picks several years in a row, even beyond those two. Even though they do not currently own a2026 selection, the Pacers could ultimately land one.
That makes studying the prospects all the more important. Over the years, the Pacers have seen most of the to-be rookies play. They have a general understanding of their abilities. But meeting them, seeing how they respond to coaching and certain drills, and testing their conditioning provides additional insight.
North Carolina’s Seth Trimble described the Pacers workout setting as fast paced. There were shooting drills, too, and various sized scrimmages. Trimble praised the efficiency and structure of the workout, which was his second with an NBA team.
Trimble, and other prospects who spoke with gathered media after their Pacers workout, also pointed to communication and conditioning as skills he felt were important throughout the workout. Those traits are generally important on any NBA roster, but perhaps more so with Indiana. They play fast and have a tight-knit team environment.
The intensity of the pre-draft sessions stands out as the prospects talk to reporters. They are often dripping with sweat and still catching their breath as they reflect on what the Pacers just put them through. “It was pretty tough,” MJ Collins said of his Pacers workout. “It’s a blessing to make it through… you’re just trying to push through. It’s a job interview.”
In that way, the Pacers are making their pre-draft workouts as valuable as they can. They need to know who is right for their system and culture – both for the present if they do add a rookie, and for the future if they acquire one of these talents down the line. For the prospects, it adds to the pressure that NBA legend and franchise consultant Larry Bird is sitting courtside to watch while they audition.
“I wasn’t expecting him to come through,” DeVries said. “It’s pretty special.”
The NBA Draft, now a two day event, will take place on June 23 and 24. Whether the Pacers make a selection or not, they’ll be prepared.
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