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Indiana Pacers: Ranking the last 10 first-round picks

By Holden Walter-Warner

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 23: Paul George #13 and Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers react in the second half of Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on April 23, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Cavaliers defeated the Pacers 106-102 to sweep the series 4-0. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using the photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 23: Paul George #13 and Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers react in the second half of Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on April 23, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Cavaliers defeated the Pacers 106-102 to sweep the series 4-0. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using the photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Indiana Pacers Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Indiana Pacers Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images /

The Indiana Pacers have made some strong draft picks recently. Let’s rank the last 10 first-round picks who made it past draft night with the team.

The Indiana Pacers don’t always get their due, constantly compared to teams in bigger markets like the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks, two historical rivals for the franchise. But the Pacers have quietly hummed along as one of the most consistent postseason contenders in the NBA.

Part of the reason for that is their recent draft history. Despite rarely picking anywhere near the top of the draft, the team has often found solid role players or unheralded gems who have become key players for the franchise. Sometimes, however, those players have gone on to do bigger things elsewhere, revealing a scouting culture that can even be too good for their own good at times.

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To rank the ten most recent first-round picks in franchise history, ground rules are a requirement. Like every NBA squad, Indiana isn’t a stranger to wheeling and dealing on draft night. For this exercise, players who were drafted and traded the same night are not included.

That brings us to the biggest omission on the list: Kawhi Leonard. The Klaw is one of the best players in the league, but he was dealt to the San Antonio Spurs on draft night in 2011 for George Hill.

His absence on this list would boost Jerryd Bayless, but Bayless was traded on draft night in 2008 to the Portland Trail Blazers for a package that included Josh McRoberts and Jarrett Jack.

There is a player on the list who was traded two weeks after the draft – he’s included here. In fact, he’s where we’ll start the ranking of the last ten first-rounders in Pacers history.

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