How The Indiana Pacers Assembled Their NBA Finals Roster

New York Knicks v Indiana Pacers - Game Six

Source: Gregory Shamus / Getty

The Indiana Pacers are heading to the NBA Finals for the second time in franchise history after dispatching the New York Knicks 125-108 on Saturday night. There have been countless trades and signings that have led to Indiana having Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard, and others. Rick Carlisle, Chad Buchanan, and Kevin Pritchard receive a lot of credit. However, this roster is made possible by some of the final years of Larry Bird’s involvement with the franchise as its president from 2013-2017. Let’s take a look at how the Pacers assembled this roster.

1. June 25, 2015

Indiana Pacers select Myles Turner with the 11^th overall pick. Turner signed a rookie contract extension on October 15, 2018, worth $80 million for 4-years. The last contract he signed with Indiana was on January 30, 2023, for 2 years $58 million as a part of a renegotiation-and-extend.

2. June 30, 2017

Indiana Pacers trade Paul George to Oklahoma City Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.

3. June 21, 2018

Indiana Pacers select Aaron Holiday with the 23^rd overall pick.

4. July 6, 2019

Indiana Pacers complete sign-and-trade with Milwaukee Bucks for Malcolm Brogdon. Indiana signed Brogdon to a 4-year $85 million contract. Indiana sent Milwaukee 2022 2^nd round pick (traded to Orlando and then Los Angeles, Max Christie).

5. July 7, 2019

Indiana Pacers sign Jeremy Lamb to a 3-year $31.5 million contract.

6. July 29, 2019

Indiana Pacers sign T.J. McConnell to 2-year $7 million contract. McConnell would sign a 4-year $33.6 million contract with Indiana on August 6, 2021. He would sign another extension on September 3, 2024, for 4-years’ worth $45 million.

7. July 31, 2019

Indiana Pacers sign Justin Holiday to 1-year $4.8 million contract. Would eventually sign a 3-year $18.02 million deal with Indiana in 2020.

8. January 13, 2021

Indiana Pacers trade Victor Oladipo to the Rockets, receive Caris LeVert, ’23 Houston 2nd round pick (Jalen Pickett), least favorable ‘24 second-round pick between Cavs & Jazz (Tristen Newton).

9. July 30, 2021

Indiana Pacers trade least favorable 2024 2^nd round pick (LA Clippers, Cam Christie), along with 54^th pick (Sandro Mamukelashvili), 60^th pick (Georgios Kalaitzakis), and most favorable between Pacers and Heat 2026 2^nd round pick in exchange for 31^st pick (Isaiah Todd) from the Bucks. Pacers then traded Aaron Holiday and the draft rights to Isaiah Todd to the Wizards for the 22^nd pick (Isaiah Jackson).

10. February 6, 2022

Indiana Pacers trade Caris LeVert and 2022 Heat 2^nd round pick (Luke Travers) to the Cavaliers for Ricky Rubio, lottery protected 1^st round pick (Ben Sheppard), 2022 Houston 2^nd round pick (Andrew Nembhard), and a 2027 Jazz 2^nd round pick (currently owned by the Pacers).

11. February, 8, 2022

Indiana Pacers trade Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, 2023 2^nd round pick to the Sacramento Kings for Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Tristan Thompson. Kings traded the Pacers 2^nd round pick (Jordan Walsh) and 2024 Mavericks 2^nd round pick (Anton Watson) to the Celtics in exchange for 34^th overall pick (Colby Jones).

In 2023, Indiana signed Haliburton to a max contract extension for 5-years’ worth $244.62 million.

12. June 23, 2022

Indiana Pacers select Bennedict Mathurin with the 6^th overall pick.

13. July 9, 2022

Indiana Pacers traded Malcolm Brogdon to the Boston Celtics for Aaron Nesmith, Daniel Theis, Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan, Nik Stauskas, and 2023 1^st round pick (Julian Strawther).

14. February 9, 2023

Indiana Pacers acquire Jordan Nwora, Serge Ibaka, George Hill, more favorable of Milwaukee’s two second round draft picks in 2023, Milwaukee’s 2024 2^nd round pick, and Indiana’s original 2025 2^nd round pick that was sent to Milwaukee in sign-and-trade for Malcolm Brogdon in 2019.

15. February 13, 2023

Indiana Pacers sign James Johnson to rest-of-season contract. Johnson would be waived in January of 2024 and sign a pair of 10-day contracts before signing a rest of season contract in February of 2024. Finally, Johnson signed a 1-year deal with the team in July of 2024.

16. June 22, 2023

Indiana Pacers trade the 29^th pick (Julian Strawther), and the 32^nd pick (Jalen Pickett) to the Denver Nuggets for a 2024 1^st round pick that was the least favorable between Oklahoma City Thunder, LA Clippers, Houston Rockets, and Utah Jazz and the 40^th pick (Maxwell Lewis). Indiana traded the 40^th pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for the 47^th pick (Mojave King) and cash considerations.

17. June 23, 2023

Indiana Pacers trade the 7^th overall pick (Bilal Coulibaly) to Washington for the 8^th pick (Jarace Walker), Phoenix’s 2028 2^nd round pick, and Washington’s 2029 2^nd round pick.

18. July 6, 2023

Indiana Pacers sign Bruce Brown to 2-year $45 million contract.

19. July 7, 2023

Indiana Pacers trade the worst 2^nd round pick between the Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns in 2028 and the worst 2^nd round pick between the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards in 2029 to the New York Knicks for Obi Toppin.

20. January 17, 2024

Indiana Pacers trade Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, Kira Lewis Jr., and 2024 Pacers 1^st round pick (Ja’Kobe Walter), 2024 Thunder 1^st round pick (traded to Utah, turned into Isaiah Collier), 2026 Pacers 1^st round pick for Pascal Siakam and New Orleans 2^nd round pick (Enrique Freeman).

21. February 8, 2024

Indiana Pacers trade Buddy Hield to the Philadelphia 76ers for Furkan Korkmaz, 2024 Raptors 2^nd round pick (Juan Nunez), 2029 Portland Trail Blazers unprotected 2^nd round pick.

22. June 27, 2024

Indiana Pacers trade cash considerations and 2024 Raptors 2^nd round pick (Juan Nunez) to the San Antonio Spurs for the 35^th overall pick (Johnny Furphy).