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

The Indiana Pacers are reportedly trading the No. 23 pick in the 2025 NBA draft and the rights to Mojave King to the New Orleans Pelicans, per ESPN's Shams Charania, in exchange for getting back their own first-round pick in 2026 (which was previously traded to the Pels).