Pacers Acquire No. 38 Pick From Spurs In Early Draft-Night Trade

The Indiana Pacers have acquired the No. 38 overall pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for a future second-rounder and cash considerations, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The second-round pick headed to San Antonio is a 2030 selection originally belonging to the Sacramento Kings, per The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer.

While it marks the first reported deal of draft week, it won’t impact Wednesday’s portion of the draft. The Pacers will use the pick Thursday, when the second round unfolds under the league’s new two-day format.

San Antonio, still armed with the No. 2 and No. 14 selections, offloads one of its mid-tier picks in a move that likely clears the way for a future asset and some extra financial flexibility.

For Indiana, the trade gives it another crack at adding young talent after previously dealing away its first-round pick (No. 23 overall) and entering draft week with only the No. 54 selection. The early timing of the trade indicates the Pacers weren’t necessarily zeroing in on a specific player, but rather saw value in adding an affordable roster piece in a cap-conscious spot.

That cap math matters. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks points out, the No. 38 pick carries a rookie minimum cap hit of roughly $1.27 million — or about $1 million less than the cost of a veteran minimum contract and far less than the $3.2 million tag the No. 23 pick would’ve carried.

However, sending cash in the deal does come with a caveat. Namely, it hard-caps the Pacers at the second tax apron for the 2025-26 season, per Spotrac’s Keith Smith. Still, for a team tight against the tax line, adding a second-rounder without taking on major salary could be a shrewd, forward-looking move.