The Clippers have put themselves in a spot where other teams can come calling, and the Pacers ought to be one of them.
Los Angeles is staring at a future with almost no real draft flexibility, and that matters here. The team once had nine owned first-round picks, but now it has zero tradeable first-rounders and multiple owed pick swaps. That leaves the Clippers in the position of having to take back contracts if they want any kind of asset return, even if the pieces coming their way are minor.
For Indiana, the move is not about chasing a splash. It is about using a weak negotiating position to solve a very specific roster issue without giving up any of its three movable first-rounders.
The cleanest fit in this setup is Kris Dunn. If there is one player in the league who looks like a TJ McConnell clone, it is Dunn. The former top-five pick has turned himself into a strong point-of-attack defender and does everything on offense except shoot threes.
He is also only two years younger than the 34-year-old McConnell, so this would not be some massive upgrade. It would, however, give the Pacers a different look while also trimming away one of the areas McConnell helps most: veteran leadership.
In the framework laid out here, Indiana would move Jarace Walker’s deal and McConnell’s contract to bring back Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., and any of the Clippers’ late roster fliers. That would fill the Pacers’ final roster spot and add two veterans in roles the team badly needs.
Jones would bring another fastbreak threat off the bench, with the ability to play either forward spot and hit a three when necessary. And by moving on from Jarace Walker, the Pacers would also avoid any future restricted free agency complications.
The end result is simple: a little more bench depth, a little more flexibility, and one more way to take advantage of a Clippers team with almost no leverage.
In Other News...
Pacers Backcourt Uncertainty Could Change Wolves' First Preseason Test
The Pacers used their annual FanJam scrimmage at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to give fans an early look at the roster, but the backcourt was missing a couple of familiar faces. T.J. McConnell and Quenton Jackson sat out because of what the team called physical considerations, leaving rookie point guard Braden Smith as the lone true lead guard on the floor for the intrasquad run.
Rick Carlisle said the two guards status for Indianas preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves will be announced before the game, which leaves a little uncertainty around the first real tune-up. If McConnell and Jackson cant go, Smith should see plenty of minutes, a useful opportunity for a rookie who could be asked to handle more than expected right away. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Are Banking Big On One Haliburton Partnership
Tyrese Haliburton has already made clear early this season that he likes what Ivica Zubac brings beside him, and it is easy to see why Indiana is leaning into that fit. Zubac arrived in last seasons trade with the Clippers and gives the Pacers a different kind of presence inside, one built on size, rebounding and steady production rather than flash. His career averages of 10.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game suggest the kind of reliable interior help Indiana has been looking to pair with its backcourt core.
The bigger story, though, is how much the Pacers have tied to making that partnership work. The trade that brought Zubac to Indiana also cost the team its 2026 first-round draft pick because of the protections attached to the deal, which raises the stakes every time he steps on the floor. For a team trying to build around Haliburton, Zubac is no longer just a useful addition in the lane, he is part of a transaction that could shape the Pacers roster planning for years. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Get A Huge Haliburton Checkpoint After His Achilles Injury
Tyrese Haliburtons next step back with Indiana will come in a setting that means a little extra to him, with his return from an Achilles tear set for a preseason game at his alma mater, Iowa State. It marks an important checkpoint for the Pacers as they continue to build toward having their All-Star point guard back in the fold after a long recovery, and it comes with some added context given the long-term commitment Indiana already made when it signed him to a five-year extension in 2023.
For the Pacers, Haliburtons return is about more than just one exhibition stop in a familiar gym. Indiana has spent the offseason adding Larry Nance Jr., Kelly Oubre Jr. and Braden Smith, but the bigger picture still revolves around getting Haliburton ready to anchor the team again, with expectations that hell be part of the starting lineup when the 2026-27 season opens. Tuesdays or any preseason appearance at Iowa State will not settle everything, but it does offer a meaningful signpost in the process. [Read more 🡒]