Braden Smith worked out for the Indiana Pacers on June 15, putting a Westfield product and Purdue star in the middle of a hometown draft decision before the 2026 NBA Draft. He said the setting felt close because he is 30 minutes from home and already connected to people in Indianapolis.
Braden Smith and the Indiana Pacers
“Being 30 minutes from home and being here, obviously I’m well connected to a lot of people here,” Smith said after the workout. “So it kind of feels like a family.”
That family thread runs through the team’s front office and the player’s path. Chad Buchanan told Smith he would play in the NBA when Smith was a junior at Westfield, and Buchanan later called Tommy Lloyd and suggested that he recruit Smith from Westfield. When Matt Painter entered the picture, Tommy Lloyd backed away and Smith went to Purdue.
Purdue, Westfield, and a draft fit
Smith’s résumé explains why the Pacers brought him in for a look. He won Indiana Mr. Basketball in 2022, became an All-American at Purdue, and finished as the NCAA’s career leader for assists. He also arrives with a frame that keeps drawing attention: he is not quite 6-0 and not quite 170 pounds.
That size question sits at the center of the draft evaluation. Smith has already proved he can run an offense at a high level, but NBA teams still have to decide how much they value production against a smaller build when they sort through the 2026 NBA Draft board.
Ace Buchanan and the next step
The connection reaches beyond the draft room. Ace Buchanan, the youngest child mentioned in the Pacers-family links, is a fourth-grader who wants to play someday at Westfield and wants to hang an Indiana All-Star jersey next to those earned by Smith in 2022 and Trey Buchanan in 2024.
For the Pacers, the June 15 workout keeps the door open if they decide to trade into Round 2. For Smith, it gives a local team one more live look at a prospect whose path has already tied Indianapolis, Purdue, and Westfield together.
