The Indiana Pacers are still alive in the NBA Finals, but that didn’t stop them from getting an early jump on offseason dealing Tuesday. Shams Charania of ESPN.com was first to report that the Pacers are dealing away the No. 23 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and the draft rights to Mojave King to the New Orleans Pelicans for Indiana’s 2026 first round pick.

It’s highly unusual for a team to be dealing during the NBA Finals, but with the NBA Draft just a week away, it’s entirely legal for the team to move around draft choices. New Orleans may have other objectives as well in the coming weeks with other deals, so securing a future pick now may be important for their future deals.

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The move makes a lot of sense for a Pacers team that is set up to be a Celtics rival for the remainder of the decade in the Eastern Conference. They originally traded away their 2026 first round pick (top-4 protected) as part of the trade to the Toronto Raptors for Pascal Siakam back in 2024. The Raptors dealt away that pick to the Pelicans at the 2025 trade deadline as part of the package to land Brandon Ingram.

Indiana already has a pretty full roster for next season, so they did not mind moving on from No. 23 overall, it appears to get back some future flexibility when it comes to trades. By reacquiring their 2026 first round pick, they now own all of their own first round picks for 2026 and beyond, which gives them additional trade flexibility this offseason and beyond. They also don’t have to worry about carrying a $3 million cap hit for a rookie, which could be beneficial in allowing them to re-sign future free agent center Myles Turner in July.

From a Pelicans perspective, this is an understandable bet as well, since it’s likely the Pacers will be an improved team next year in a weakened East, so the 2026 Pacers first round pick could have fallen lower in the first round next year. By taking it now, New Orleans can put that asset to use right now. The Pelicans also own the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

The NBA Draft begins on Wednesday June 25. The Pacers return to action for Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

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