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OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – JUNE 16: Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers reacts during the first quarter ao in Game Five of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 16, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Following their loss in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the Indiana Pacers made a trade to reacquire their 2026 first-round pick from the New Orleans Pelicans.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Pacers traded away the 23rd overall pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft in the deal. They also sent back the rights to Mojave King in exchange for their first-round pick for next year.
New Orleans now has the seventh and 23rd picks in next week’s draft, one of four teams with multiple first-round selections.
Indiana’s Game 5 Loss
The Pacers make the draft trade less than 24 hours after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals on Monday night. They were down for the majority of the game but brought the lead within just two points in the fourth quarter. Despite the comeback, Indiana lost the game 109-120, after historical performances from the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.
Tyrese Haliburton finished the game with four points while going 0/4 shooting from the field. He also had seven rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes, but the star guard appeared to have sustained a right leg injury in the first quarter of Game 5. His four points, all coming from the free throw line, matched his lowest scoring total of his playoff career.
“It’s the Finals,” Haliburton said after the loss. “I’ve worked my whole life to be here and I want to be out there to compete, help my teammates any way I can…I was not great tonight by any means, but it’s not really a thought of mine to not play here. If I can walk, then I want to play.”
Pascal Siakam and T.J. McConnell were Indiana’s top two scorers in Game 5. Siakam finished with 28 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while McConnell scored 18 points, 12 of which came in a career-high postseason third quarter.
The Pacers conceded 32 points off their 22 turnovers against the Thunder. The loss marks the first time Indiana has dropped back-to-back games since March and they now need to win two in a row to clinch the title.
Pacers’ Mid-Finals Trade
Despite their season not yet over, Indiana made the trade with New Orleans to reacquire their first-round pick for next year. The pick was originally sent to the Toronto Raptors in the deal that brought Siakam to Indiana last year. New Orleans then got the pick when they traded Brandon Ingram to Toronto.
The Pacers send back the rights to King in the deal. He was selected 47th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 NBA Draft, then immediately traded to Indiana. He spent that season playing with the Pacers’ G-League affiliate, the Indiana Mad Ants, averaging 3.9 points in 15 games.
King then moved to the New Zealand National Basketball League, where he is currently a member of the Tauranga Whai. New Orleans now owns his rights, with the ability to add him to their roster for next season.
The trade frees up money for the Pacers next season. They have a stronger ability to resign Myles Turner, or another free agent in hopes of making another deep playoff run. The Pelicans now have two first-round picks and are in a better spot to trade up in the 2025 Draft in hopes of landing a top talent.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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