The Nets Exchanged Long-Held Vaulet Rights for Sumner and a Pick
Brooklyn acquired shooting guard Edmond Sumner and a 2025 second-round pick originally belonging to Miami from Indiana on October 6, 2021. The Pacers received the NBA draft rights to Argentine wing Juan Pablo Vaulet, whom Brooklyn had first acquired on the 2015 draft night. The official NBA offseason trade tracker and Pacers franchise media guide confirm both the deal and the conditional future selection. The Nets were able to convert an international prospect whose rights had not led to Brooklyn NBA minutes into a player with previous Pacers experience plus an additional draft asset. Indiana was adjusting its guard depth and took a low-cost chance to hold overseas rights. No active Nets starting player joined the Pacers as part of the original deal.
Sumner Returned from an Achilles Injury to Play for Brooklyn
Sumner missed the entire 2021-22 NBA season while recovering from an Achilles injury, so the October transaction did not deliver immediate Brooklyn game production. He later joined the Nets and played 53 regular-season games during 2022-23, starting 12 and averaging 7.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists. That was a concrete return from a player whose NBA future had been uncertain when he was first moved. His career had previously included four years with Indiana, but the 53 Nets games are the part directly relevant to Brooklyn's realized roster value. The inherited B Nets grade recognizes having turned an unused international right into genuine guard depth and future pick control. The missed injury year is an important qualification, not a reason to dismiss the actual recovery and subsequent playing contribution.
Indiana Held the Prospect Rights While the Pick Matured
The Pacers received Vaulet's rights, not a player who immediately filled an Indiana NBA starting role. His basketball career continued primarily outside the United States, so overseas performance should be discussed as development rather than Pacers NBA box-score production. The Miami-origin 2025 second-round choice eventually became associated with No. 41 Koby Brea, though the downstream rightsholder must be confirmed before assigning that selected player's NBA games to Brooklyn. Indiana's inherited C+ grade represents flexibility and an international signing opportunity with little direct NBA output. Brooklyn had the more visible return in Sumner's comeback season and in the retained or transferable pick option. The label Nets Win is consistent with those results, but it should not pretend Sumner contributed healthy games during the 2021-22 season when he was rehabilitating.
Final Verdict
Nets Win. Brooklyn earns B after acquiring Edmond Sumner and a Miami-origin 2025 second-rounder associated with No. 41 Koby Brea. Sumner returned from an Achilles injury to appear in 53 Nets games at 7.1 points during 2022-23. Indiana gets C+ for Juan Pablo Vaulet's overseas NBA signing rights, which did not yield Pacers NBA minutes.