Indiana Pacers: 5 best draft picks and draft-day trades

Indiana Pacers best draft-day move: Trading For Jeff Foster

This might come as a surprising pick to some, but Jeff Foster was a key member of the Indiana Pacers for a lot of years. Foster was drafted 21st overall out of Texas State in the 1999 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. He was then traded on draft-day to the Pacers for a future first-round draft pick and Vonteego Cummings.

While Foster never became a star player, the fans and the organization loved him. His hard play and tenacity endeared him to the fans and earned him the nickname Feisty Foster.

Foster was a rookie the year the Pacers made it to the NBA Finals. He spent the entirety of his 13-year career with the Pacers. He played in 764 games and started in 345. He averaged 4.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He was a consistent role player and sometimes starter for the blue and gold. He did the dirty work to get the offensive rebounds. He averaged 2.8 offensive rebounds per game for his career and at the time of his retirement, he was fourth all-time in offensive rebound rate.

Foster was a tough defender and was afraid of no man. The longevity of his career and his consistent play is why he is one of the best draft-day trades the Pacers have ever made.