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INDIANAPOLIS – Things are about to pick up big time in the world of the NBA offseason.

This year’s draft will take place on Thursday, and free agency is following at the end of the month.

In talking draft, the Pacers hold the No. 23 and No. 50 picks. When it comes to the final mock drafts this time of year, many pundits have the Pacers taking a guard in Round One.

Let’s take a closer look at who is being pegged for the Pacers at pick No. 23:

NBADraft.net: 6-2 PG-Elie Okobo (France)

Stefanos Makris’ Analysis: Elie Okobo is a combo guard who is still learning how to become a point guard. His ability to score in every way possible (Pull-up, Catch and Shot, Spot up, Drive) along with his court vision, above average athleticism and defensive potential make him really intriguing. If he manages to play with the same motor all the time and become a point guard he could be a really good player in the future.

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor: 6-5 G-Jerome Robinson (Boston College)

O’Connor’s Analysis: A versatile scoring wing who can play both on- and off-ball, an important quality for today’s position-less league.

Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey: 6-6 G-Jacob Evans (Cincinnati)

Bailey’s Analysis: Another guard/forward who can do a little bit of everything, Evans could play next to Victor Oladipo and make the Pacers backcourt a little bigger.

CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish: 6-4 G-Josh Okogie (Georgia Tech)

Parrish’s Analysis: Okogie really helped himself at the combine — where he measured 6-4 with a 7-foot wingspan. And when you consider the sophomore guard shot 38.0 percent from 3-point range this season at Georgia Tech while averaging 18.2 points in 36.4 minutes per game, you can understand why NBA executives are becoming more interested in Okogie as a real first-round possibility even though he was just a three-star recruit in the Class of 2016.

The Athletic’s Michael Scotto: 6-9 F-Dzanan Musa (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Scotto’s Analysis: Musa worked out for the Pacers on Monday and shot the ball well in his workout. Looking ahead, Indiana has Bojan Bogdanovic ($10.5 million) on a non-guaranteed deal for next season. Musa can replace Bogdanovic’s shooting at the small forward position as a cheaper long-term replacement after next season.

Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo: 6-1 G-Aaron Holiday (UCLA)

Woo’s Analysis: Holiday has fans drafting in the teens, most notably the Suns, who have worked him out twice and is pretty firmly in this mid first-round mix. The Pacers have no long-term answer at point guard on the roster, and Holiday can be groomed for a rotation role as Darren Collison and Cory Joseph play out their contracts. He excels using ball screens and spotting up, and could conceivably become an eventual starting caliber-player, though in likelihood he’ll be most valuable leading someone’s second unit. He will have to fight hard to overcome his lack of size on the defensive end. Although Holiday doesn’t have star upside, he doesn’t have many holes in his game either, and having two successful brothers in the NBA and will help him from background standpoint.

 

MOCK DRAFT TOTALS

 

In each installment of the mock draft looks we will total up all the positions pundits have pegged for the Pacers throughout the draft process.

 

1ST Mock Draft Look (June 7)

 

 

Totals:  

 

PG-Aaron Holiday (UCLA): 3

G-Troy Brown (Oregon): 2

G-Kyhri Thomas (Creighton): 1

F-Chandler Hutchinson (Boise State): 1

F/C-Jontay Porter (Missouri): 1

G-Jerome Robinson (Boston College): 1

G-Aaron Holiday (UCLA): 1

F-Dzanan Musa (Bosnia and Herzegovina): 1

G-Elie Okobo (France): 1

G-Josh Okogie (Georgia Tech): 1

G-Jacob Evans (Cincinnati): 1

 

           

Bowen’s Analysis: The abundance of guards is here. Outside of Musa, who worked out for the Pacers earlier this month, all of these Mock Drafts have the Pacers taking a guard. Robinson is very intriguing to me. He’s a taller guard, who scored at a very high level in the ACC. Could Robinson be a future point guard option down the road for the Pacers? Shooting is something the Pacers really want to add, so a player like Okogie doesn’t make a lot of sense. One thing we’ve learned, which is expected at pick No. 23, is there’s hardly a consensus when it comes to a player for the Pacers. Kevin Pritchard could also be putting the Pacers’ pick up for sale, given that the team has cap space to acquire a veteran here later this week.

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