The Indiana Pacers selected Bilal Coulibaly with the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday night. However, Coulibaly’s time in Indiana would be short-lived, as he was traded on draft night for Jerace Walker.
Coulibaly, a 6-foot-6, 194-pound shooting guard from France, was also a teammate of Victor Wembanyama who went first in this year’s NBA Draft.
Coulibaly is a versatile guard who can play inside and outside. He is a solid threat on the offensive and defensive glass and a natural shot-blocker. His size and acumen allow him to operate as a stretch three in the leagues.
During his time with the Metropolitans 92, Coulibaly averaged nearly 22 points, three steals and one block per contest.
The Indiana Pacers have lacked depth with wings and bigs for the last few seasons. Players such as Myles Turner, Goga Bitadze and Domantas Sabonis have either been the center of trade talks, moved or injured. Coulibaly would have been a great addition to Indiana.
However, Coulibaly’s move to the Pacers on draft night was short-lived.
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The Pacers immediately traded Coulibaly to the Washington Wizards, who were on the draft clock immediately after Indiana.
The trade sent Coulibaly to D.C. while Indiana received the eighth overall pick, Walker, and two second-round picks.
Walker, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward from Houston, averaged eleven points, seven rebounds and two assists per game for the Cougars last season.
Moreover, Walker played a lone season at the University of Houston, shooting 46% from the field and 35% from three.
Walker is a sturdy forward who can be a threat on both sides of the ball. Walker’s presence in the paint yields him effective on the glass.
The Pacers acquired more talent in the next round. The Lakers drafted New Zealand shooting guard Mojave King whose rights were instantly traded to Indiana.
King is an NBA G League standout, being named the league’s first-ever Next Up Game Award recipient for the 2022-23 season.
The G League Ignite phenom played alongside the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, Scoot Henderson. King averaged nine points, four rebounds and one assist during his stint in the G League.
The Pacers are hoping that players such as Walker and King can help them improve their lack of depth on the low block and in the paint.
Players Walker and King are projects, but both have the potential to provide the Pacers with depth and versatility.
Currently, the Pacers organization is going through a rebuild. However, with breakout talents such as Tyrese Haliburton and draft steals such as Walker and King, Indiana could become a fringe playoff team as early as this season.
Contact multi-media staff writer Noral Parham III at (317)-762-7846 or e-mail at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on Twitter @NoralParham.
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.
