The New Orleans Pelicans have added a second first-round selection in the 2025 NBA Draft, acquiring the No. 23 overall pick from the Indiana Pacers, league sources confirmed Tuesday. The deal also includes the draft rights to Mojave King, a former G League Ignite guard, while Indiana receives New Orleans’ 2026 first-round pick in return.
The transaction gives the Pelicans two first-round selections in this year’s draft—No. 7 and No. 23—offering the franchise more flexibility as they weigh their options between retooling the roster or making a bigger move to contend in the Western Conference.
The move clears $3.2 million in salary cap space for Indiana heading into the offseason. The Pacers, who are currently battling the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, are now projected to enter free agency roughly $20 million under the luxury tax threshold and well below both cap aprons. This provides the team with financial flexibility as they look to retain or replace unrestricted free agent Myles Turner potentially, the only starter from their Finals run not currently under contract for next season.
Pacers Stockpile Future Draft Capital
With the deal, Indiana now ensures they will control their first-round picks in seven consecutive drafts beginning in 2026. The pick they traded on Tuesday was originally obtained from the Toronto Raptors as part of the midseason trade that brought forward Pascal Siakam to Indiana.
In a separate deal, Toronto later flipped the pick to the Pelicans and sent Brandon Ingram to the Raptors, tying together a series of draft-related transactions involving three Eastern Conference playoff teams.
Mojave King Added to Pelicans’ Pipeline
The deal includes Mojave King, a 6’5″ guard who spent last season with the Indiana Mad Ants, the Pacers’ G League affiliate. Originally drafted by the Lakers in 2023 before his rights were moved in multiple trades, King brings athleticism and perimeter defense upside to a Pelicans team that continues to invest in developmental depth.
What’s Next
The Pelicans are now well-positioned heading into the 2025 NBA Draft with two first-round selections and a roster that may undergo further change this summer.
Meanwhile, the Pacers continue to walk the tightrope of building for the future while maintaining a competitive core that, aside from Turner, appears to return intact for the 2025–26 season. As the dust settles from a string of interconnected trades, all eyes now turn to what New Orleans will do with its extra draft asset—and whether Indiana will use its newfound flexibility to re-sign Turner or pursue another free-agent addition.
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