The Indiana Pacers are entering the NBA offseason with a new head coach in Rick Carlisle and a good core of a roster. Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, Caris LeVert, Malcolm Brogdon, and TJ Warren are all talented players, and the Pacers have more talent past those guys. However, they do need to bring in more talent to compete for an NBA Finals appearance in the Eastern Conference and finding a way to select Baylor guard Davion Mitchell in the 2021 NBA Draft would be a perfect way to do just that.
Mitchell is an elite two-way prospect in the upcoming draft class. He would give the Pacers a legitimate long-term back-court running mate for LeVert. Indiana could also consider trading Malcolm Brogdon for high value if they selected Mitchell.
During the 2020-21 college basketball season at Baylor, Mitchell ended up averaging 14.0 points per game to go along with 5.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.90 steals. He shot 51.1 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 44.7 percent of his three-point attempts. Those numbers show why the Pacers should try to trade up in the NBA Draft for him.
Over the last couple of years, Mitchell has improved his game dramatically. He has improved a ton as a perimeter shooter and has become a legitimate offensive threat all-around. With the defensive ability that he possesses, he has real potential to become an elite NBA talent quickly.
All of that being said, let’s take a look at a few reasons the Pacers should try to trade up to select Davion Mitchell.
