Indiana Purchased a Late Second-Round Guard Prospect
During the June 22, 2017 NBA draft, the Pacers purchased Edmond Sumner's draft rights from the New Orleans Pelicans for $1 million. The transaction is recorded in Indiana's season history and in the front-office ledger for president Kevin Pritchard. Sumner had shown athletic defensive ability at Xavier but faced injury concerns, reducing his draft position. The Pacers did not have to surrender a player or future selection to take the chance on him. New Orleans accepted guaranteed financial compensation rather than carrying another development guard on its own roster.
Sumner's Indiana Development Took More Than a Season
Sumner played only one regular-season game during 2017-18, logging two minutes. His next two seasons involved limited but growing assignments: 23 Pacers games and two starts in 2018-19, then 31 appearances and three starts in 2019-20. The improvement was gradual, reflecting the difficulties of establishing a late second-round guard in a rotation led by established veterans. This stretch is important because a short-term draft-night grade would have written the purchase off before Indiana actually received a usable player. The franchise held the rights long enough for that development period to pay off.
The 2020-21 Season Delivered His Main Return
In 2020-21 Sumner appeared in 53 Indiana regular-season games and started 24, averaging 7.5 points on 52.5 percent shooting from the field. His increased role lifted the cumulative Pacers return from a speculative G League development story to 108 NBA appearances and 29 starts across four seasons. The club had purchased his rights for cash rather than sacrificing future picks. An Achilles injury kept him from playing during 2021-22, and he later appeared for Brooklyn in 2022-23. Those Nets games should not be added to Indiana's acquired-team performance.
New Orleans Received Cash, Indiana Received Rotation Games
The Pelicans got the agreed $1 million, and that is a documented financial result rather than an empty asset. There is no identified subsequent player or draft choice that can be directly assigned to that payment alone, however. Indiana got a guard who eventually started nearly half his games in one season and delivered a sustained stretch of NBA availability. Sumner was not a star and his injury history capped the investment, but 108 appearances from a low second-round rights purchase is meaningful. The basketball result therefore favors Indiana more distinctly than the earlier slight-edge grade suggested.
Final Verdict
Pacers Win. Indiana earns B+ for Edmond Sumner's 108 regular-season games, 29 starts and useful 2020-21 reserve-and-starter minutes following the $1 million draft-rights purchase. New Orleans gets C because its compensation was guaranteed cash but produced no direct player minutes. Sumner's later Brooklyn seasons do not contribute to the Pacers' trade return.