Former Pacers Sharpshooter Retires From NBA

Former Indiana Pacers forward Doug McDermott has called it quits on his NBA career.

McDermott played in the league for 12 seasons after being drafted in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft. The forward was the National College Player of the Year at Creighton in 2014 before he went to the NBA.

McDermott never made an All-Star team while in the NBA, but he did show flashes of being a strong three-point shooter. While his career never lived up to all the hype that he entered the league with, the veteran was able to carve out a nice legacy for himself.

The forward spent three full seasons with the Pacers between 2018-21, establishing himself as a sharpshooter for the team. His best year in the NBA came with Indiana, when he averaged 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, while shooting 53.2 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from beyond the three-point line during the 2020-21 season.

McDermott rejoined the Pacers for an 18-game stint during the 2023-24 season after being traded back to Indiana for guard Buddy Hield. The forward was a fun piece for some of the more recent Pacers teams, giving Indiana someone who could help stretch the offense while on the floor.

In addition to his time with the Pacers, McDermott spent time witn the Chicago Bulls, which was the team that he started his career with. McDermott was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the No. 11 pick, but he was then traded to the Bulls on the same night.

McDermott played in Chicago for a few seasons, before he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The forward was then moved to the New York Knicks, where he played in 55 games.

Over the trade deadline in 2017-18, McDermott was shipped to the Dallas Mavericks, but he never signed back. Eventually, McDermott landed with the Pacers, signing a three-year, $22 million deal with the team.

The forward then spent three years with Indiana as mentioned above, before the team didn't retain him after the 2021 season. McDermott then joined the San Antonio Spurs, where he spent a few seasons, before latching back on with the Pacers.

The forward then finished his career with the Sacramento Kings, playing his last two seasons with them. Overall, McDermott had an interesting career, especially after he was drafted so high, but the forward was successful, and he will always be part of the Pacers team history.