Joe Dumars did not let luck box him and the New Orleans Pelicans in as the 2025 NBA Draft approaches. Last month, the Pelicans fell to seventh in the draft order after having the fifth-best odds before the lottery.

However, the Indiana Pacers did a nifty little bit of work during the Finals, agreeing to a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and later

We have an NBA trade. No, not the one everyone is waiting on involving Kevin Durant. Instead, the Indiana Pacers are sending the No. 23 pick in next week's draft to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for their own 2026 first-round pick.