Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer posts up against Louisville Cardinals guard J'vonne Hadley. Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Indiana Pacers have several options in NBA Draft

Originally posted on Indianapolis Pacers on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Jan 13, 2026 11:02 AM ET

The Indiana Pacers are a team to look out for when it comes to the 2026 NBA Draft.

The team is expected to have one of the top picks as a result of their bottoming out in the Eastern Conference standings. Some members of the Indiana Pacers On SI staff spoke about which top prospect they want the team to acquire in the draft this summer.

Jeremy Brener

The Pacers need to put the past behind them and move forward and drafting Kansas guard Darryn Peterson would be the first step towards doing that. Peterson has tremendous scoring ability and he could be a No. 1 or 2 option on a championship team someday. The Pacers may not have the chance to pick this high in the NBA Draft ever again, so they need to take advantage and find a player who they can build around for the future.

Major Passons

The Pacers will have an excellent pick in the NBA draft but they are not your typical team that has a high draft pick. They still have several good players and have their PG of the future. If I were the Pacers I would be looking to add Cam Boozer or Caleb Wilson over one of the guards. They need to fortify their interior and both are prospects that are versatile.

Ryan Kaminski

With the Pacers circling the bottom of the draft tank waters, the best prospects in a loaded class will be readily available for them. Pairing Cameron Boozer, the downhill playmaking force power forward out of Duke, with Tyrese Haliburton is a P&R match made in heaven, while either of Dybantsa or Peterson would obviously be electric in Indiana as well.

Yaxel Lendeborg, Patrick Ngongba, Jayden Quaintenance provide defensive anchor prospect options to consider for the frontcourt. Adding a rookie two-way rookie talent of this magnitude will do wonders for refreshing Indiana for another Finals run.

Tony Mejia

Indiana can't go wrong with either AJ Dybantsa or Cam Boozer, so they would be in great shape if they land at least the No. 2 pick since it would guarantee them at least one of those guys. Dybantsa has the athleticism to be a better one-on-one defender, but Boozer has been a whatever-it-takes mentality that would suit him well on a championship contender since Indiana expects to pick right up where it left off prior to Tyrese Haliburton's Achilles tear.