Should the Indiana Pacers keep the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, ESPN has revealed their best fit.
The Indiana Pacers have a lot riding on Sunday's NBA Draft Lottery.
After suffering through a tough 19-63 regular season, the Pacers currently hold the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. That could change quickly depending on the results of the lottery.
Before the NBA trade deadline this year, Indiana pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. With a clear need for a center, the Pacers acquired Ivica Zubac.
Zubac is an incredibly talented player, but to get him Indiana had to part ways with this year's first-round pick. However, Kevin Pritchard and company did place some protections on the draft pick.
Should the pick land between the first and four overall selections, the Pacers would keep it. If they get jumped by other teams and slide to either No. 5 or No. 6, Indiana would send the pick to the Clippers.
In the event that the Pacers keep the pick, they would then be sending an unprotected 2031 first-round pick to Los Angeles instead.
With that being said, mock drafts have been operating as if Indiana holds the No. 2 pick. Jeremy Woo of ESPN has revealed who he believes the Pacers would pick if they stand pat and keep the No. 2 pick following the lottery.
Woo believes that Kansas standout guard Darryn Peterson would be the right pick for Indiana.
"Peterson is a No. 1-caliber talent and an excellent value if he's on the board at No. 2, but he would be a particularly strong fit in Indiana. He's the most dynamic shooter in the draft and would greatly benefit from playing alongside Tyrese Haliburton, one of the league's most unselfish players," Woo wrote.
"Haliburton could get Peterson clean looks, while also giving him space to develop as an on-ball playmaker. That dream pairing would have immense offensive potential, assuming Haliburton is back to full strength in time (torn Achilles), and could evolve into one of the NBA's best backcourts."
Only time will tell whether or not the Pacers will get to keep their pick. Adding a top-four pick alongside of Tyrese Haliburton, Zubac, Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith would be a big step in the right direction.