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.

Indiana deals for its 2026 first-round pick by sending New Orleans its pick in 2025 plus the rights to Mojave King.

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