The Indiana Pacers acquired the 38th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and selected guard Kam Jones out of Marquette. Let’s take a look at the Pacers best NBA draft picks in franchise history. It’s not necessarily the 10 best players ranked in order as where they were selected was taken into consideration. Only time with the team is credited. Recent draft picks Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin have a strong chance to make the list in the coming years. Some other honorable mentions include Clark Kellogg, Vern Fleming, Wayman Tisdale, and Al Harrington.
10 Best NBA Draft Picks In Indiana Pacers History
10. Lance Stephenson (40th overall, 2010)
Lance Stephenson was the starting shooting guard on Pacers teams that made back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014. The Brooklyn native actually had three separate stints with the team. His 4.8 defensive win shares in 2013-14 were the sixth-most in the league.
9. Chuck Person (4th overall, 1986)
A bucket-getter with the Pacers, Chuck Person took home the 1986-87 Rookie of the Year. He averaged no less than 17 points in each of his seven years with the franchise. Person recorded a triple-double in his rookie and third year.
8. Antonio Davis (45th overall, 1990)
Mostly utilized off the bench, Antonio Davis still played a large role on perennial playoff teams. His last season with Indiana (1998-99) saw him earn a third-place finish in Sixth Man of the Year voting. Davis clearly outplayed expectations of a mid-second round pick averaging nine points and 6.6 rebounds for the Pacers.
7. Herb Williams (14th overall, 1981)
A 6-foot-11 center, Herb Williams was a productive player in his 577 games with Indiana. While with the team, he posted averages of 15.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks. In 1985-86, Williams posted career-high across the board in scoring (19.9), rebounding (9.1) and blocked shots (2.4).
6. Myles Turner (11th overall, 2015)
Spending his first 10 seasons with the Pacers, Myles Turner has moved on this offseason, signing with the Milwaukee Bucks. The 6-foot-11 center leaves as the franchise’s all-time leader in rejections (1,412). He twice led the league in blocks while also being a stretch big who connected on 756 three-pointers.
5. Dale Davis (13th overall, 1991)
Dale Davis was a rugged, hard-nosed player who gave his all on both ends during his 10 seasons with the Pacers. He was an All-Star in 1999-00, one of five years he averaged double-digits in scoring. The 6-foot-11 power forward also averaged more than nine rebounds five times.
4. Rik Smits (2nd overall, 1988)
Known as the ‘Dunking Dutchman’, Rik Smits played all 12 seasons of his career with Indiana. An All-Star in 1997-98, he averaged double figures in scoring every year. Smits played in 104 postseason outings with the Pacers.
3. Danny Granger (17th overall, 2005)
For an albeit brief time, Danny Granger was one of the best scorers in the NBA. An All-Star in 2008-09, he was also named Most Improved Player that season. He averaged 25.8 points per contest that season, 24.1 the following year, and 20.5 in 2010-11.
2. Paul George (10th overall, 2010)
The 2012-13 Most Improved Player, Paul George was an All-Star four times in seven seasons with Indiana. Three times, he averaged more than 20 points, the same amount of times he was named to the All-NBA third team. A two-way player, he twice finished in the top-eight of Defensive Player of the Year voting.
1. Reggie Miller (11th overall, 1987)
A member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, Reggie Miller spent his entire 18-year career with the Pacers. He retired as the all-time leader in three-pointers made (2,560) and led the league in free- throw percentage five times. His 25,279 points are the 26th-most in league history.
Photo credit: © Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
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