Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker was named a trade target for a Western Conference powerhouse.
The Indiana Pacers will be entering the new 2026-27 NBA season with a lot to prove after missing the playoffs a year ago.
Indiana only won 19 games last season, mainly due to not having star guard Tyrese Haliburton on the roster. Haliburton was out all year due to injury, but he is now back and ready to return this team to title contention.
One player who will be expected to step up for the Pacers this year will be forward Jarace Walker. Walker was excellent for Indiana a year ago, but now that the team will be looking to go after a title, Walker could have a larger role.
But the Pacers also have some financial questions to answer as the year goes forward. Walker could be part of those, and he will be a restricted free agent following the end of this NBA season.
NBA analyst Eric Pincus named Walker as a possible trade candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers in a recent article. While the Pacers haven't shown a willingness to trade Walker of yet, moving the young forward could be an interesting idea.
"At 6'7", Walker is more of a perimeter scorer than a bruising power forward, but he's athletic and would add additional depth to the Lakers' frontcourt. The Pacers have consistently avoided the luxury tax, so it's surprising the franchise projects to be over this year by as much as $6.4 million. Many competing executives expect the team to trim somewhere ahead of the trade deadline to get under the $200.4 million threshold," Pincus wrote.
If the Pacers want to avoid the luxury tax again, moving Walker could make some sense. Los Angeles could use another wing for their roster, while the Pacers would get some financial flexibility in a deal.
But moving on from Walker now could be tough, especially as he has started to look better each season. Walker averaged 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game last season for the Pacers.
The forward has started to look more comfortable at the NBA level, giving Indiana another wing to use. But his restricted status for next season does bring some complications for the Pacers that the front office may not want to deal with.
Trading him for future assets could allow Indiana to avoid the luxury tax again, while setting the team up down the line. But trading with the Lakers could be tough, especially if the Pacers want draft capital back in a trade for Walker.
For now, Walker will remain with the Pacers, as the team trues to get back on track. But if Indiana were to stumble a little, or Walker were to not take that next step forward, we could see a trade happen.
