Pacers Draft: Second round nets Mojave King and Isaiah Wong for Pacers

The Pacers add a couple of guards in the second round.

The Pacers’ No. 47 pick came up on the board with IU’s Trayce Jackson-Davis listed as the best available player on ESPN’s draft coverage. The feel good connection was not there for the Pacers as they passed on TJD for another guard.

Mojave King is from New Zealand and played with the G League Ignite before entering the draft. He is another 3 and D prospect although it appears his D was better than his three this past season. King is also at best a shooting guard, standing at 6’4. Still he is plenty athletic and able to attack the rim while also showing a solid perimeter stroke. although he made just 24% of his threes for the Ignite while playing with three other draft picks, including Scoot Henderson.

Considering the current state of the roster, if all goes well, a two-way spot may be in King’s immediate future.

With the 55th pick (and yes the Pacers didn’t take five players, so you can’t call Kevin Pritchard a liar, but four is more than most expected the Pacers to select in this draft), the Pacers took ANOTHER guard, Isaiah Wong out of Miami.

Oh, and yes, Jackson-Davis was still available and fuming, tweeting ‘Y’all will regret it… I promise you.’ after he wasn’t picked at No. 47.

Wong is tough as nails as TJD and any IU fan remembers from his effort in the NCAA tournament when Miami knocked out IU. Still, another guard who is 22 adds to a ridiculously crowded backcourt. There are never guarantees for a late second round pick, but there will have to be some moves to open up an opportunity for an actual opportunity at this point.

As for Trayce Jackson-Davis, he was finally selected at No. 57 by the Washington Wizards. He will likely have a far better opportunity to see some action with the rebuilding Wiz than he would’ve with the clogged big man situation with the Pacers. Even better, the Wiz’s TJD pick was traded to Golden State where he should thrive as an understudy to Draymond Green. All’s well that end’s well for the local legend.