Pacers Should Take Jarace Walker Off the Table in Trade Talks

Kevin Pritchard and the Indiana Pacers are entering a pivotal offseason for the team's chances of competing for a championship next season.

Last year, the Pacers came up just one win short of their first ever NBA championship. They pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder to Game 7 of the NBA Finals before seeing star point guard Tyrese Haliburton go down with a torn Achilles.

This season, Indiana struggled without its star on the court. When all was said and done, the Pacers only mustered up a 19-63 record.

In most years, that kind of struggle would end up meaning a high draft pick. Unfortunately for Indiana, the ping pong balls did not bounce the right way.

Instead of having a top-five pick, the Pacers were forced to send the No. 5 pick to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac trade.

Despite losing the first-round pick, Indiana is excited about Zubac being the starting center next year. Now, the Pacers are focused on adding more talent via either free agency or the trade market.

Quite a few suggestions have come out for Indiana regarding potential trade targets. In most of those suggestions, Indiana would trade 22-year-old forward Jarace Walker.

Walker is coming off of a career season during the 2025-26 campaign. He played in 76 games and made 41 starts, averaging 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Walker also shot 41.9 percent from the floor and 37.4 percent from the three-point line.

Originally drafted by the Pacers with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Walker has shown improvement year after year. He showcased the kind of potential that Indiana saw in him this year.

Assuming there is more room for Walker to grow and develop, the Pacers should not trade him away. Walker has the talent to become a starter for Indiana long-term. Next season, he will have a chance to be a crucial part of the rotation.

Very few players have the kind of skill-set that Walker possesses. He can score the ball, shoot from three, put the ball on the floor, pass, defend, and rebound.

Making an aggressive move for a player like Trey Murphy III of the New Orleans Pelicans would be great for the Pacers. However, giving up on Walker after the season he just put together could end up being a massive mistake.

Only time will tell how Indiana chooses to upgrade its roster. But, the Pacers should try to keep Walker on the roster for next season. He just might continue developing into a very special talent.