Days before the 2025 NBA Draft (and during the NBA Finals), the Indiana Pacers traded the No. 23 pick to the Pelicans, reacquiring their 2026 first-round pick in the process. Indiana traded the pick to Toronto in 2024 as part of the Pascal Siakam deal, and Toronto traded it to New Orleans earlier this year in the Brandon Ingram deal. Now, the pick is back where it all started.
It's hard to feel optimistic as a Pacers fan when the team is 1-13 (after Monday's 127-112 loss to the Pistons), especially after the way the 2024-25 season ended.