The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft concluded Tuesday evening at Barclays Center in Brooklyn with exactly what scouts expected at the top and some lively unpredictability near the back end. The Washington Wizards stayed the course by selecting AJ Dybantsa of BYU first overall, while the Utah Jazz took Darryn Peterson of Kansas at No. 2. The Memphis Grizzlies rounded out the top three with Cameron Boozer of Duke.

Of concern to Pacers fans looking in the rear view mirror, the Clippers selected Keaton Wagler out of Illinois with the 5th pick.

But from picks 16-30, we witnessed one of the most active trading nights in recent draft history—with indirect implications for the Indiana Pacers heading into Wednesday's second round.

The Grizzllies for one, made a flurry of trades which resulted in them moving back from 16 to 21 (where they took Bennett Stirtz) and accumulating 5 second round picks in the process. They own the Pacers second rounder at 32, which Shams reports they are looking to move.

The back half of the first round featured several teams dealing themselves out of the second apron situation or acquiring additional assets, including the other team mentioned in Shams’ tweet, the New York Knicks.

The Knicks traded No. 24 to the Lakers for number No. 25, flipped No. 25 to Dallas for No. 30 and two second-round picks, and subsequently traded No. 30 to Phoenix for three second-round picks and cash considerations.

Denver traded No. 26 to San Antonio for No. 35 and two future second-round picks, while Cleveland traded No. 29 to Sacramento for No. 34 and one future second-round pick.

If nothing else, the second apron appears to be working as an effective deterrent to bloated payrolls.

The Pacers' Path: Trading Back Into Round 2

Indiana was one of several teams who did not make a first round selection Tuesday night, but the reporting suggests the Pacers are making moves to get back into the second round tonight.

The Pacers have the capital to do it (as does every team). The challenge is identifying which prospects grade out as second-round worthy versus free agency targets.

There are a few interesting names to keep an eye on: Isaiah Evans, Emanuel Sharp, Meleek Thomas, Henri Veesaar, Trevon Brazile, Richie Saunders, Baba Miller, Jack Kayil, Braden Smith, Ryan Conwell, Bruce Thornton, and Jaden Bradley.

Among these, Braden Smith is often linked with Indiana for the obvious reasons. The Purdue product is a Westfield, Indiana native and has the work ethic and production that the organization values. He went from a nobody to the NCAA's all-time assists leader. Henri Veesaar, Isaiah Evans, and Meleek Thomas are three first-round graded prospects who could be available in the 31-40 range.

Regardless of what happens, you know the Pacers will be active behind the scenes. Buchanan and Pritchard have proven their willingness to wheel and deal. The first round didn't provide a pick, but Round 2 offers more opportunities for them to be creative.

The Draft resumes Wednesday at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN.

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