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By Anne Erickson
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Oh, the stress of only having one pick in the NBA draft. That's something the Indiana Pacers faced this year.
The Pacers had one lone draft pick at No. 28. It was pretty much an unknown who they were going to pick, because by the time you get to No. 28, it's hard to predict what players will still be available.
But, the Pacers smartly used their draft selection to take point guard Braden Smith out of Purdue.
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Cameron Salerno of CBS Sports gives the Pacers a B for Smith. That's a fairly high grade, but there's a case to be made for it being higher.
"Indiana has had success developing point guards in its system," he states in the feature. "Smith was one of the best pure floor generals throughout his entire college career at Purdue and will have a chance to crack the rotation immediately in his home state. He also offers insurance and depth behind Tyrese Haliburton, who missed the entire 2025-26 season due to a torn Achilles."
My Take: Purdue's Braden Smith is Underrated
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Smith is special. He was one of those draft picks who could have gone much sooner and was a bit underrated.
At Purdue, he became the NCAA's leader in assists. That alone should have moved him up mocks, but scouts let his physical size get in the way of their selections. He's under 6 feet tall, so short for a modern-day point guard.
But, all you have to do is look at Jalen Brunson to know that it's not all about size in the NBA. Besides, Smith is a truly lovely fit for the Pacers. He's back in his home state and poised to make noise.
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