The Pacers, who are still playing in the NBA Finals, traded with the Pelicans and got back the 2026 first-round pick

The management of the Pacers, who are still playing the NBA Finals with the Thunder, have not let up, announcing that they will trade their first-round pick next week to the New Orleans Pelicans and get back their 2026 first-round pick.

The Pacers, who are still playing the championship game, made a trade with the Pelicans

According to a report by ESPN on the 18th, in addition to the draft pick trade, the Pacers also sent the Development League's Mojave King to the Pelicans, which freed up $3.2 million in salary space for the Pacers, and starting in 2026, the Pacers have had a first-round pick for seven consecutive years. The Pacers' expected salary heading into the offseason is about $20 million, which is still a long way from both luxury tax lines.

The Pacers came to Pascal Siakam last season in a trade to give his 2026 first-round pick to the Raptors, which was later traded to the Pelicans for Ingram, and is now back in the hands of the Pacers.

The Pelicans will have the No. 7 pick and the No. 23 pick in the first round of the year after the trade, and they also got Kim, 23, who is the second round pick in the 2023 draft and played 15 games for the Pacers Development League in 2023-24 and played in Puerto Rico, New Zealand and other places last season.