Complete 2017 NBA Draft grades for all 30 teams
Indiana Pacers
T.J. Leaf (No. 18), Ike Anigbogu (No. 47), Edmond Sumner (No. 52)
There will still be plenty of opportunities to move Paul George in the coming months, but by not being able to do so on draft night, the Indiana Pacers may have missed out on their best opportunity to jumpstart a rebuild.
As happy a story as two UCLA teammates playing together in Indiana might be, that’s the overwhelming takeaway from the Pacers’ draft night. Trading PG-13 is an uphill battle with no leverage since everyone fears he’ll only be a one-year rental, but the Celtics were on the line for awhile. Not being able to reel them in hurts, especially with all of Boston’s assets to choose from.
At No. 18, the Pacers took a stretch-4 with very limited defensive ability in T.J. Leaf. They later scored Ike Anigbogu — who was projected to go somewhere in the latter half of the first round — at No. 47.
Leaf is a nice young piece who will help with the rebuild, while Anigbogu will provide depth and athleticism at the 5…assuming his health doesn’t get in the way.
Multiple sources say Ike Anigbogu's medical is why he's falling. Question marks surrounding his knee. One source said: [It's] really bad."
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) June 23, 2017
In any case, at least T.J. Leaf will spread the floor. Xavier’s Edmond Sumner was acquired from the Pelicans at No. 52, and he may well be worth it thanks to his versatility and physical gifts.
No one really moves the needle here though. These aren’t your typical high-upside picks with potential, nor would they feel at home on a win-now kind of team. Anigbogu is simply raw, Leaf is flawed and Sumner will be challenged to make an impact. Couple that with the lack of a Paul George trade and this was a less than exciting haul.
Grade: C-