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The Indiana Pacers may not have had a pick going into the 2026 NBA Draft, but they were able to pull off a trade with the Chicago Bulls for the No. 38 overall pick to select Purdue point guard Braden Smith.
Smith was the team's clear-cut target all along. His close family ties to the Pacers' front office helped that cause, but his game did most of the talking.
With that being said, Indiana's front office has opened up about its decision to trade for Smith.
Chad Buchanan, Indiana's general manager, spoke out honestly with his thoughts about the pick. He made it clear that Smith's game is what made the Pacers so interested in bringing him onboard.
"Braden has a competitive will that is very hard to put a measure on, a value on," Buchanan said. "He's always won. I talked to [Purdue] Coach [Matt] Painter about him and the biggest thing he says is he impacts winning. Which is really the best quality you could ask for...He's tough, he loves the game, high basketball IQ. He's overcome a lot of challenges. And this will be the biggest challenge he's faced."
He continued forward, offering more praise for the team's new rookie point guard.
"He's a confident kid who believes in himself and does every little thing it takes to win. He's one of those guys that you watch him play you're just expecting something good to happen with the ball in his hands. And it usually does."
Along with those comments, Buchanan shared what made Indiana feel that Smith could contribute to winning in the future.
"His will to win, his ability to lead a team, his ability to get other people shots around him," Buchanan said. "His basketball IQ is extremely high...His ability to make plays for other players, see things that other players can't see is a special trait. I think in the second round you're looking for a special trait or a special skill for that player."
There have been concerns about Smith's size. He stands in at 5-foot-10 and under 170 pounds. Buchanan acknowledged that he will have to overcome his size deficit at the NBA level.
"All these second-rounders have something they have to overcome," Buchanan said. "For him, it's going to be his size. We're betting on his toughness, we're betting on his IQ, we're betting on his will to win."
It will be interesting to see how this move ends up looking after a few years. Smith has proven himself to be a winner and is the all-time assist leader in college basketball.
Hopefully, the Pacers will be proven right for trading into the draft to get the young point guard. However, if things don't work out, Indiana won't be out much.
Continue reading...
Smith was the team's clear-cut target all along. His close family ties to the Pacers' front office helped that cause, but his game did most of the talking.
With that being said, Indiana's front office has opened up about its decision to trade for Smith.
Chad Buchanan, Indiana's general manager, spoke out honestly with his thoughts about the pick. He made it clear that Smith's game is what made the Pacers so interested in bringing him onboard.
"Braden has a competitive will that is very hard to put a measure on, a value on," Buchanan said. "He's always won. I talked to [Purdue] Coach [Matt] Painter about him and the biggest thing he says is he impacts winning. Which is really the best quality you could ask for...He's tough, he loves the game, high basketball IQ. He's overcome a lot of challenges. And this will be the biggest challenge he's faced."
He continued forward, offering more praise for the team's new rookie point guard.
"He's a confident kid who believes in himself and does every little thing it takes to win. He's one of those guys that you watch him play you're just expecting something good to happen with the ball in his hands. And it usually does."
Along with those comments, Buchanan shared what made Indiana feel that Smith could contribute to winning in the future.
"His will to win, his ability to lead a team, his ability to get other people shots around him," Buchanan said. "His basketball IQ is extremely high...His ability to make plays for other players, see things that other players can't see is a special trait. I think in the second round you're looking for a special trait or a special skill for that player."
There have been concerns about Smith's size. He stands in at 5-foot-10 and under 170 pounds. Buchanan acknowledged that he will have to overcome his size deficit at the NBA level.
"All these second-rounders have something they have to overcome," Buchanan said. "For him, it's going to be his size. We're betting on his toughness, we're betting on his IQ, we're betting on his will to win."
It will be interesting to see how this move ends up looking after a few years. Smith has proven himself to be a winner and is the all-time assist leader in college basketball.
Hopefully, the Pacers will be proven right for trading into the draft to get the young point guard. However, if things don't work out, Indiana won't be out much.
Continue reading...
