Shams: Pacers / NOP Trade, Pacers send 23 pick and a player rights to NOP for player for their 2026 FRP returned

[Myth]

Wait what, Indy can make trades while still in the playoffs?

Doesn't involve any active players.

This is fascinating. I never knew you could do this. So, when can they make a deal? Is it once the regular season ends? Because they can’t trade picks after the trade deadline, right? I always thought it was no trades at all after the trade deadline until your team was eliminated.

[Synciere]

If Indy is in the Finals, why isn’t their pick #29 at best?

[kulaz3000]

If Indy is in the Finals, why isn’t their pick #29 at best?

Unless your team is in the lottery, your draft position is based on the teams regular season record.

[ForeverTFC]

Wait what, Indy can make trades while still in the playoffs?

Doesn't involve any active players.

This is fascinating. I never knew you could do this. So, when can they make a deal? Is it once the regular season ends? Because they can’t trade picks after the trade deadline, right? I always thought it was no trades at all after the trade deadline until your team was eliminated.

Teams can only start trading when their season ends. Pacers can't make any trades until the finals are over, even if there is no active player involved.

Another wrinkle, they won't be able to make this trade after the finals either given they traded their pick last year. So they'll make the pick and then trade that player to the Pels for their '26 pick back on draft night.

[AussieCeltic]

Fun fact: Mojave Kings mother is my wife’s beautician here in Brisbane, Australia.

Decent player but not an NBA prospect in my mind.

[knicksfan974]

poverty franchise (Pelicans) doing poverty things. Trading a pick in the loaded 2026 draft for the 23rd pick in a very bad draft is why certain franchises remain laughingstocks.

You would think that to do this trade they must have some late first round prospect singled out in this year's draft? Let's see how they play their cards come draft night.

[xdrta+]

Teams can only start trading when their season ends. Pacers can't make any trades until the finals are over, even if there is no active player involved.

Another wrinkle, they won't be able to make this trade after the finals either given they traded their pick last year. So they'll make the pick and then trade that player to the Pels for their '26 pick back on draft night.

No, they could make this trade because it didn't involve anyone on their 15 man roster. This trade is official

[CubColtPacer]

Doesn't involve any active players.

This is fascinating. I never knew you could do this. So, when can they make a deal? Is it once the regular season ends? Because they can’t trade picks after the trade deadline, right? I always thought it was no trades at all after the trade deadline until your team was eliminated.

Teams can only start trading when their season ends. Pacers can't make any trades until the finals are over, even if there is no active player involved.

Another wrinkle, they won't be able to make this trade after the finals either given they traded their pick last year. So they'll make the pick and then trade that player to the Pels for their '26 pick back on draft night.

The Stepien rule only applies to future picks. So the Pacers didn't need to wait until draft night to trade their 25 pick (as long as they got their 26 pick back). The 24 lack of pick doesn't matter in this case because it was in the past.

And immediately following the draft next week, they will be eligible to trade that 26 pick again even though they didn't pick in the 25 draft because the 25 draft would then be in the past.

[Myth]

This is fascinating. I never knew you could do this. So, when can they make a deal? Is it once the regular season ends? Because they can’t trade picks after the trade deadline, right? I always thought it was no trades at all after the trade deadline until your team was eliminated.

Teams can only start trading when their season ends. Pacers can't make any trades until the finals are over, even if there is no active player involved.

Another wrinkle, they won't be able to make this trade after the finals either given they traded their pick last year. So they'll make the pick and then trade that player to the Pels for their '26 pick back on draft night.

The Stepien rule only applies to future picks. So the Pacers didn't need to wait until draft night to trade their 25 pick (as long as they got their 26 pick back). The 24 lack of pick doesn't matter in this case because it was in the past.

And immediately following the draft next week, they will be eligible to trade that 26 pick again even though they didn't pick in the 25 draft because the 25 draft would then be in the past.

So does that mean still doesn’t become official until after the Finals when their season ends?

[Hoop Hunter]

This is fascinating. I never knew you could do this. So, when can they make a deal? Is it once the regular season ends? Because they can’t trade picks after the trade deadline, right? I always thought it was no trades at all after the trade deadline until your team was eliminated.

Teams can only start trading when their season ends. Pacers can't make any trades until the finals are over, even if there is no active player involved.

Another wrinkle, they won't be able to make this trade after the finals either given they traded their pick last year. So they'll make the pick and then trade that player to the Pels for their '26 pick back on draft night.

The Stepien rule only applies to future picks. So the Pacers didn't need to wait until draft night to trade their 25 pick (as long as they got their 26 pick back). The 24 lack of pick doesn't matter in this case because it was in the past.

And immediately following the draft next week, they will be eligible to trade that 26 pick again even though they didn't pick in the 25 draft because the 25 draft would then be in the past.

Thanks, but that made me dizzy.

[boomershadow]

I wonder what they're cooking up. This makes future deals more likely.

[djsunyc]

I wonder what they're cooking up. This makes future deals more likely.

it's to avoid a guaranteed deal for more luxury tax next season since they are going to pay turner. nothing more imho.

[HotelVitale]

I wonder what they're cooking up. This makes future deals more likely.

it's to avoid a guaranteed deal for more luxury tax next season since they are going to pay turner. nothing more imho.

Hmm they'd have to pay the same amount of $ for a vet min guy anyway right? Gotta fill up the roster spot somehow so I'm not sure they're actually saving anything here.

[HotelVitale]

You would think that to do this trade they must have some late first round prospect singled out in this year's draft? Let's see how they play their cards come draft night.

Yeah Far Beyond Driven is a hot take-y poster. This draft isn't bad at all in the top 25--folks are saying it thins out about 10 spots later--and presumably the Pelicans like lots of people in that range. It's not exactly the biggest upside play since you could hold out some vague hope that the Pacers have injuries and fall into the mid-teens or something, but it's not unreasonable to want a #23 for a draft you're actively scouting over a pick that will very likely be similar next season.

[JujitsuFlip]

If Indy is in the Finals, why isn’t their pick #29 at best?

Because this isn't the NFL.

[FarBeyondDriven]

You would think that to do this trade they must have some late first round prospect singled out in this year's draft? Let's see how they play their cards come draft night.

Yeah Far Beyond Driven is a hot take-y poster. This draft isn't bad at all in the top 25--folks are saying it thins out about 10 spots later--and presumably the Pelicans like lots of people in that range. It's not exactly the biggest upside play since you could hold out some vague hope that the Pacers have injuries and fall into the mid-teens or something, but it's not unreasonable to want a #23 for a draft you're actively scouting over a pick that will very likely be similar next season.

triggered. there's nothing hot take about this obviously being a weak draft. The highly touted guys mostly disappointed. The lottery guys all have glaring flaws. The depth is atrocious after losing a ton of kids to NIL. I'm not sure Harper would be a top 10-13 pick in next year's class. This will be apparent to casuals by this time next year. Set a reminder.

[celtxman]

Wait what, Indy can make trades while still in the playoffs?

Doesn't involve any active players.

Is this the first time in NBA history that a team in the Finals made a trade before the season ended. I can't recall ANY team at any level of the playoffs making a trade while they were still playing

[CubColtPacer]

Teams can only start trading when their season ends. Pacers can't make any trades until the finals are over, even if there is no active player involved.

Another wrinkle, they won't be able to make this trade after the finals either given they traded their pick last year. So they'll make the pick and then trade that player to the Pels for their '26 pick back on draft night.

The Stepien rule only applies to future picks. So the Pacers didn't need to wait until draft night to trade their 25 pick (as long as they got their 26 pick back). The 24 lack of pick doesn't matter in this case because it was in the past.

And immediately following the draft next week, they will be eligible to trade that 26 pick again even though they didn't pick in the 25 draft because the 25 draft would then be in the past.

So does that mean still doesn’t become official until after the Finals when their season ends?

Nope, it was officially announced by the team yesterday.

[CubColtPacer]

Wait what, Indy can make trades while still in the playoffs?

Doesn't involve any active players.

Is this the first time in NBA history that a team in the Finals made a trade before the season ended. I can't recall ANY team at any level of the playoffs making a trade while they were still playing

Denver made a trade with OKC (Denver got a first and two seconds for a future first) on June 9th, 2023 which was the same day that Denver played in game 4 of the Finals that year. That's the only one I remember in recent history.

[Myth]

The Stepien rule only applies to future picks. So the Pacers didn't need to wait until draft night to trade their 25 pick (as long as they got their 26 pick back). The 24 lack of pick doesn't matter in this case because it was in the past.

And immediately following the draft next week, they will be eligible to trade that 26 pick again even though they didn't pick in the 25 draft because the 25 draft would then be in the past.

So does that mean still doesn’t become official until after the Finals when their season ends?

Nope, it was officially announced by the team yesterday.

So then I go back to the heart of my previous question, when are teams allowed to trade picks post trade deadline? Is it after the regular season? Or is there never a restriction on trading picks and the trade deadline is only relevant to active rosters? I ask because this goes counter to my previous understanding that teams must wait until their season (including playoffs) is over.