Jake Fischer of The People's Insider (part of Mark Stein's Substack "The Stein Line") reported late Tuesday night that the Indiana Pacers have interest in trading into the second round of the NBA Draft. "The Pacers are looking to trade for a pick somewhere in the 30s early in the second round, according to league sources."With the Pacers in a tight cap situation, finding a way back into the draft (after trading both their first and second round picks in previous trades) is a smart business move. Several teams selecting in the 31-39 range have multiple picks, which makes trading for one even more likely. Value of Trading for a High Second-Round PickApr 7, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Kam Jones (7) shoots the ball while Minnesota Timberwolves guard Bones Hyland (8) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn ImagesBefore we look at what teams the Pacers could trade with, it is worth breaking down why the Pacers might want to acquire an early second-round pick in the thirties. In Jake Fischer's article, he mentioned that the Minnesota Timberwolves could be a team that looks to trade down in the draft:"Minnesota is very much in conversation to move its No. 28 selection, with rival teams saying that the Wolves are searching for another ballhandler to bolster their backcourt. If the Wolves were to move down but not out of the draft completely, league personnel have pegged Sergio de Larrea from Valencia in Spain as a prospect prominent on Minnesota president Tim Connelly's radar."Jul 29, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Isaiah Jackson (Kentucky) arrives on the red carpet before the 2021 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesIf Indiana can pull off a deal with a team early in the second-round, they could then send that pick to a team like Minnesota for a first-round pick. This would not be the first time we've seen Indiana do a deal like this. In 2021, the Pacers traded No. 31 and Aaron Holiday to the Washington Wizards for Isaiah Jackson, who was selected No. 22 overall in a massive five team deal. This is not the only reason why Indiana would look to make a move back into the draft, but it makes sense.Trading back into the second round of the draft would allow Indiana to sign a player on a minimum contract for $1.35M. That is extremely valuable when trying to avoid the Second Apron, and significantly cheaper than adding a veteran on a minimum, as the cost of a minimum increases in salary based on years of service. Overall, trading for a high second-round pick has value in many ways as laid out above, but what teams are there to trade with?5 Teams the Pacers Could Trade with in the Top of the Second Round1. New York Knicks (No. 31)Mar 13, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; New York Knicks forward/guard Og Anunoby (8) passes the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn ImagesIn the same article where Jake Fischer shared that the Pacers have interest in getting back into the draft, he also mentioned that the New York Knicks would likely only use one of their two picks:"As for the NBA's new champions, sources say Leon Rose's front office is planning to move one of the Knicks' two selections. They currently hold No. 24 and the first pick of Wednesday night's second round: No. 31."Last year, the Timberwolves traded No. 31 to the Suns for No. 36 and two future second-round picks. There will be several teams that have interest in getting No. 31 if it is available, but it will cost the Pacers most likely three second-round picks. 2. Memphis Grizzlies (No. 32)Mar 1, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Jay Huff (32) shoots the ball while Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. (1) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn ImagesThe Grizzlies moved up from the sixth spot in the NBA Draft Lottery to land the No. 3 overall pick. They also have picks No. 16 and 32. With a roster full of several young players (around 10-12 before the draft), two picks at three and sixteen, and the expected trade of Ja Morant this offseason, Memphis will have a hard time finding playing time for everyone. This is why the Grizzlies trading with the Pacers makes sense. Pick No. 32 originally belonged to Indiana but they traded it to Milwaukee in 2021. The Bucks then flipped that pick to the Grizzlies a week later. Now, Indiana could look to trade back for it five years later. It should also be noted that Indiana and Memphis made their first trade together last offseason when the Pacers acquired Jay Huff for a second-round pick, and a second-round pick swap. Could another deal be possible?3. San Antonio Spurs (No. 35)Mar 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) dribbles against San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn ImagesThe San Antonio Spurs have a plethora of young talent on their roster and currently have picks No. 20, 35, 42, and 44. There is no way that the Spurs use all four picks. In the last two NBA Drafts, the Pacers and Spurs have agreed to deals. In 2024, Indiana traded No. 36 and cash considerations to the Spurs for No. 35 and selected Johnny Furphy. Then in 2025, Indiana traded a 2030 second-round pick (via Sacramento) to San Antonio for pick No. 38 and selected Kameron Jones. The Pacers and Spurs have made ten trades with each other, which is their second most frequent trade partner in franchise history. The Pacers front office of Kevin Pritchard and Chad Buchanan have made four trades with the Spurs since 2021.Because of their trade history, where the Spurs are at from a roster standpoint, and with how many picks they have in this draft, a deal with the Spurs makes a lot of sense. 4. Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 37)Jan 23, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard/forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesWith Chet Holmgren's and Jalen Williams' contract extensions kicking in, the Thunder are operating as a Second Apron team. In addition to that, they have picks No. 12, 17 and 37 in this draft, with several decisions to make roster wise. Their team will look quite different than we're used to, but that doesn't mean that they will take three players in this draft. Expectations are that the Thunder will try and package 12 and 17 to move up in this draft, but they will need a trade partner, maybe Milwaukee? Oklahoma City trading pick No. 37 feels like a real possibility. It would make sense to turn this year's second-round pick into a future second-round pick that they can use later down the road. Indiana giving up a future second plus cash considerations feels like enough to get a deal done. 5. Chicago Bulls (No. 38)Apr 1, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (30) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesA complete and total rebuild is finally happening in Chicago and they'll get things started with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, with all signs pointing to them selecting Caleb Wilson of North Carolina. The Bulls also have pick No. 15 which they got from Portland and pick No. 38 in the second round. If Indiana wanted to get super aggressive and make a trade with Chicago bigger than a future second-round pick for No. 38, they could look to trade one of their "tradeable contracts" into the Bulls Trade Player Exception.Making a trade like that would give the Pacers more spending money with the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (NTPMLE), but Indiana could find other ways to trade those "tradeable contracts". Landing No. 38 would be a good pick for a second-round pick, but this is usually where the draft starts to enter into the next tier of talent. When you look at who the Pacers got in 2024 (Furphy at 35) compared to who they drafted in 2025 (Jones at 38), you can see the drop-off. Final Thoughts2021 NBA Draft | Doug McSchooler of The Indy StarI am not surprised at all by the reports of Indiana looking for a high second-round pick. Since Rick Carlisle was hired as head coach, the team has valued early second-round picks or late first-round picks. Here are the players who have been acquired in those ranges:-Traded for Isaiah Jackson (selected No. 22 overall) and sent out No. 31 and Aaron Holiday-Andrew Nembhard drafted No. 31 overall in 2022-Ben Sheppard drafted No. 26 overall in 2023-Traded No. 29 and No. 32 in 2023 to Denver for No. 40 and a 2024 first-round pick-Traded No. 36 and Cash for No. 35 which was used to select Johnny Furphy-Traded a 2030 second-round pick from (SAC) for No. 38 to select Kam JonesHistory has shown that the Pacers like to pick in this range and they value the financial flexibility of these picks. They've also proven to hit on players in this area who fit their. You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow