The Indiana Pacers kept fans guessing deep into the second round before making a move that felt more like a first-round steal. The franchise needed backcourt help, and with one announcement, it addressed scoring, playmaking, and defensive grit.
A résumé packed with All-America honors followed the pick to Indianapolis, but the bigger story is how seamlessly this prospect can slot into Rick Carlisle’s system. By night’s end, analysts were calling the choice one of the smartest values of the draft. Here is why the Pacers earned such high marks.
2025 NBA Draft: Indiana Pacers Steal Marquette Star Kam Jones at No. 38, Upgrading Backcourt IQ
Marquette star Kam Jones slid to No. 38, yet Indiana’s room erupted when his name appeared on the card. “With the 38th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers snagged one of the most seasoned guards in the class,” PFSN draft analyst Brandon Austin noted, calling Jones a “crafty combo guard with a mature game.”
Austin’s assessment aligned with front-office thinking: Jones provides Indiana with an NBA-ready option while Tyrese Haliburton recovers from his Achilles injury.
Jones averaged 19.2 points and 5.9 assists as a senior, numbers that jump off the page when paired with his 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals. Even more impressive, he posted a 200-to-63 assist-to-turnover line after shifting from off-guard to primary initiator.
“Floaters, pull-ups, movement off the ball — his offensive bag is well stocked and rooted in high IQ and big-game experience,” Austin highlighted. Those skills translate to Carlisle’s pace-and-space scheme, allowing Jones to run bench units now and share the floor with Haliburton later.
Newest @Pacers member Kam Jones and his cousin Dylan showing off their handshake at the #NBADraft 🤝
(via @NBADraft)pic.twitter.com/GFCenbLTTd
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 27, 2025
Indiana’s depth chart shows Andrew Nembhard and T. J. McConnell shouldering duties until the All-Star returns. Jones projects as the third point guard in that rotation and an instant-offense shooting guard whenever the Pacers lean small.
He shot 40.6 percent from three-point range as a junior before dropping to 31.1 percent in his new role, demonstrating both his shooting touch and adaptability. Austin believes the efficiency will rebound: “Plug him into a system and he’ll elevate it. He doesn’t need the ball in his hands constantly to make an impact.”
Defense is where second-round rookies often struggle, yet Jones’ tape tells a different story. The 6-4, 200-pound left-hander is willing to pick up full court, uses quick feet to shade ball-handlers, and stays physical through screens.
“Defensively, he brings active feet, a strong frame, and a desire to get stops,” Austin wrote, adding that Jones disrupts rhythm rather than merely containing it. That mentality fits a Pacers group that climbed into the league’s top half in defensive efficiency after the Siakam trade.
“This is exactly the type of low-risk, high-reward investment an ascending team with a transcendent player is wise to make.”
If Jones tightens his handle and rediscovers upper-thirties shooting from distance, he could become more than injury insurance — he could be the latest Pacers second-rounder to carve out a long NBA career.
