Indiana Pacers: 5 worst draft picks and draft-day trades in history

Indiana Pacers draft mistake: drafting T.J. Leaf

In the 2017 NBA Draft the Indiana Pacers drafted T.J. Leaf out of UCLA with the 18th overall pick. The power forward is still currently with the organization and his option was picked up for the 2020-21 season. His contributions to the team have been minimal and his playing time dramatically decreased during the 2019-20 season.

Notable players that were drafted after Leaf were Jarrett Allen, OG Anunoby, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart. Leaf has played three seasons for the Pacers but has had little to no impact. In his first two seasons he spent some time on the G-League affiliate Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

In this past season, he played only 25 games. For his career he has averaged 3.3 points and 2.0 rebounds per game while rarely playing during any meaningful moments. When you look at the players left on the table and the little contribution he has made on the court it is easy to see why he is one of the Pacers’ worst draft choices.