With a huge void to fill this summer, the Indiana Pacers are strong contenders and need to choose Auburn’s Johni Broome with the 23rd overall choice. Without a doubt, Tyrese Haliburton is a star. He has the club on the verge of a second consecutive conference finals trip, but Myles Turner, Thomas Bryant, and Isaiah Jackson are all moving towards free agency. Turner will want further assistance at the five if the Pacers are to get him back.
Broome played at Auburn for the last three of his five years of collegiate basketball. The 6’10 big man’s overwhelming output should not be disregarded, even if many have him expected to be selected in the second round. As Auburn advanced to the Final Four, Broome averaged 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 blocks in 30.2 minutes per game.
Getting a good reserve on a rookie-scale contract is exactly what Indiana needed, but the Pacers need instant assistance. It is easy to overlook older, more accomplished possibilities for potential plays.
The Pacers should select Johni Broome at 23rd overall
There are questions concerning his shooting. Broome made just 27.8 percent of his 90 3-point tries this season, but it was a plus to see him taking 2.5 each night. The Pacers have been successful in helping players improve their jump skills, which raises the 22-year-old’s potential.
At the five, Broome is already a capable rim-protector, facilitator, and finisher. Kevin O’Connor likened him to the Thunder’s Jaylin Williams. Although his rating was a little low, the Pacers are hoping to stay in the running for the championship, so it is excellent to have a capable reserve with a wide range of skills.
There is a lengthy list of seniors that are ignored in the draft, but the Pacers should be savvy. Broome dominated the NCAA, including becoming a consensus first-team All-American. Indiana may sign a dynamic big man who is ready to play right away or a 19-year-old developmental project head coach Rick Carlisle will never play. The latter is Broome, who may soon establish himself in the Pacers rotation, particularly if Isaiah Jackson and Thomas Bryant go in free agency.
By Monday’s draft lottery, the Indiana Pacers will hold the 23rd and 54th overall picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. Anticipate that the team will go for a low-cost deal that might have an immediate impact in the first round. It would be a mistake for the Pacers to have a longer perspective. Get Johni Broome and allow him to assist right now. It’s the ideal choice for Indiana.
