INDIANAPOLIS — Purdue All-American guard and former Westfield High School star Braden Smith and Indiana center Sam Alexis will both be in Indianapolis for a prospects workout for the Pacers on Friday, the Pacers posted on their social media accounts Wednesday.
The Pacers — who don’t currently hold a pick in the 2026 NBA Draft — announced six-player workouts for both Thursday and Friday their third and fourth of the draft cycle. Smith and Alexis will be joined by Illinois guard Kylan Boswell, Duke forward Maliq Brown, Louisville guard Isaac McKneely and California forward Chris Bell.
On Thursday, the Pacers will host California forward John Camden, Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr., Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey, Florida International guard Corey Stephenson, Virginia guard Malik Thomas and Gonzaga guard Jalen Warley.
Smith is one of the highest-rated players the Pacers have had in for a workout. He’s rated the No. 38 player in the draft class by both ESPN and The Athletic, which suggests he’ll be taken in the first half of the second round of the two-day draft June 23 and 24. The Pacers would have to trade in to the draft to get him, but they tend to make a point to bring in players with Indiana ties for workouts.
Smith was named Indiana’s Mr. Basketball in 2022 after setting all-time records for both points and assists at Westfield. Though he was underrecruited at 6-foot, he left Purdue as one of the most decorated players in its history, earning All-America honors twice, first-team All-Big Ten honors three times and Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 2024-25. He helped Purdue reach the 2024 NCAA title game before it lost to Connecticut, marking Purdue’s first Final Four since 1980. He broke Bobby Hurley’s all-time NCAA career record for assists, finishing with 1,103 in four seasons. He averaged 13.0 points and 7.4 assists in his career.
Alexis played one year at Indiana after helping Florida win the 2024-25 national title. The 6-9 forward averaged 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game this season and shot a remarkable 68.7% from the floor. Prior to joining Florida, he spent two seasons at Chattanooga and was named to the All-Southern Conference team and All-Southern Conference Defensive team in 2023-24. Per a league source, Alexis also had workouts scheduled with the Grizzlies, Lakers and Thunder this week.
Boswell, a 6-2 guard, was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive team this year and helped Illinois reach the Final Four with 12.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Brown, a 6-8 forward, was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year, averaging 1.8 steals per game in Duke’s run to a ACC regular season and tournament championships and the Elite Eight. Per a league source, Brown has also worked out for Golden State, Sacramento, Charlotte, Washington, Dallas, Houston, Brooklyn, Phoenix, Boston and the Los Angeles Clippers.
McKneely averaged double figures in each of the last three seasons and hit 329 3-pointers at a 41.4% clip in his four years at Louisville. Bell, a 6-7 forward, averaged 14.2 points per game at California this season and shot 40% from 3-point range after three seasons at Syracuse.
Lipsey, a 6-1 point guard, averaged 13.5 points, 5.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game at Iowa State this season and was named to the All-Big 12 team and All-Big 12 defensive team each of the last three seasons. Council was named all conference at both Wagner and St. Bonaventure before averaging 12.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game in one season as a starter at Kansas. Camden averaged 13.8 points per game at California, his fourth school, after earning All-Colonial Athletic Association honors at Delaware in 2024-25. Thomas averaged 13.8 points per game in his lone season at Virginia after averaging 19.9 per game at San Francisco in 2024-25. Stephenson, a 6-6 guard, averaged 18.0 points per game in one season at Florida International to earn All-Conference USA honors. Warley, a 6-6 wing, averaged 7.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in one season at Gonzaga after three seasons at Florida State.
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue’s Braden Smith, IU’s Sam Alexis working out for Pacers on Friday
Reporting by Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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By Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
