Indiana Pacers rookie forward Jarace Walker underwent a procedure to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, per sources. Walker, 19, is expected to make a full recovery by the start of training camp in September.
The 6-foot-8 forward was selected eighth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2023 NBA Draft out of the University of Houston. Washington immediately traded Walker and two future second-round draft picks to Indiana for Bilal Coulibaly.
Walker is the highest-drafted prospect from Houston since Hall-of-Famer Hakeem Olajuwon was taken No. 1 overall by the Houston Rockets in 1984.
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Indiana Pacers F Jarace Walker — the eighth pick in the 2023 NBA Draft — underwent a minor procedure to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, sources tell ESPN. Walker is expected to be fully recovered for the start of training camp in September.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 19, 2023
Jarace Walker made 35 starts in 36 appearances with the Cougars in his freshman 2022-23 season. He averaged 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steal, 1.3 blocks, and 27.6 minutes per game with Houston. Moreover, the freshman wing also shot 46.5% from the floor, 34.7% beyond the arc, and 66.3% at the foul line.
In Houston’s 75-69 win over Cincinnati on Jan. 28, the forward recorded a career-high 25 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in 37 minutes of action. Not to mention, he finished 10-of-14 (71.4%) shooting from the field and drained two 3-pointers as well.
Indiana Pacers rookie forward Jarace Walker underwent right elbow procedure to remove loose bodies, to make full recovery ahead of training camp in September
Additionally, in the Cougars’ 89-59 victory against Tulane on Feb. 22, the Maryland native posted nine points, a career-high 13 boards, one assist, and two blocks in 29 minutes played.
Walker led the ACC in defensive box plus/minus (4.4) and defensive rating (87.1). Plus, the freshman standout finished 19th in his conference in points (404), sixth in total rebounds (245), fourth in blocks (46), 14th in field goals (158), eighth in player efficiency rating (22.1), and seventh in win shares (5.2).
Furthermore, Walker won ACC Freshman of the Year and was selected to the second-team All-ACC and AAC All-Freshman Team. He ended his NCAA career with three double-doubles.
Jarace Walker stuffed the stat sheet at #PacersSummer. 💪
14.3 PPG
7.8 RPG
3.3 APG
1.3 SPG
1.3 BPG pic.twitter.com/th0ilOjMmT— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) July 17, 2023
During the 2023 NBA 2K24 Summer League, the rookie averaged 14.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks in four outings with Indiana. He finished 75th in points per game and 29th in rebounds per game.
On Jul. 1, Walker signed a four-year, $27.57 million rookie scale contract with the Pacers. His base salary for the 2023-24 season is $6,059,520. Walker’s deal includes two team options: $6,665,520 for 2025-26 and $8,478,542 for 2026-27. As part of a trade restriction, he cannot be traded until Aug. 1, 2023.
