The Indiana Pacers fortified their backcourt on June 26, selecting a pair of experienced guards in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.
With their two picks, the team acquired Marquette’s Kam Jones and Liberty’s Taelon Peter, adding another scoring element to the roster.
At No. 38 overall, the Pacers drafted Jones, a dynamic 6’5″ guard. Jones brings a plethora of experience, having played four seasons for the Golden Eagles and finishing his career as the school’s second all-time leading scorer.
In his senior season, he showcased a versatile offensive game, averaging 19.2 points, 5.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. He earned Second Team All-America honors and was unanimously selected for the All-Big East First Team. While his three-point percentage dipped to 31% in his final year, he demonstrated the ability to be a prolific shooter, hitting over 40% from deep in his junior season. Known for his ability to score at the rim and as a playmaker, Jones finished his college career by scoring in double figures in 50 consecutive games.
With their second-round pick at No. 54, the Pacers selected Taelon Peter, a 6’4″ guard. Peter’s journey to the NBA is unique, as he was a Division II standout at Arkansas Tech, where he was named the Great American Conference Player of the Year.
In his lone season at Liberty, he was extremely efficient, leading the team in scoring with 13.7 points per contest, shooting 57.8% from the field and a school-record 45.3% from three. Despite coming off the bench for most of the season, Peter was named the Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year, proving his ability to be a high-impact player in a limited role.
The additions of Jones and Peter provide the Pacers with a pair of seasoned guards, which may be necessary considering point guard Tyrese Haliburton is expected to miss the majority of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846 or via email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on Facebook @HorsemenSportsMedia. For more sports, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
