Pacers rookie Jarace Walker undergoes procedure on right elbow

The No. 8 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft has been dealing with pain in his right elbow since late March.

Indiana Pacers first-round pick Jarace Walker underwent a minor procedure to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, according to Woj.

As followers know, I don’t believe in “minor” procedures because surgery is surgery. However, this is about as simple as invasive procedures get.

“Everything went well,” Walker wrote on Instagram. “I appreciate the blessings.”

Here’s deeper insight from athletic trainer (and friend of FF) Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com:

“Elbow debridements are relatively uncommon in the NBA but have a high success rate & I’d be surprised if he misses any time. Other players to undergo offseason elbow debridements include Kyle Korver, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul Pierce.”

That he needed it was not a surprise because it first bothered Walker during his final college game: March 25 against Miami in the Sweet Sixteen.

Woj shared two months ago that Walker’s agency, WME, then elected to hold him out of their pro day in May after it was re-aggrevated. He visited the Pacers for an individual workout on June 7.

There has been no official injury announcement from the team.

This comes following the Pacers spending 12 days in Las Vegas for Summer League. Walker, who turns 20 years old on Sept. 4, played in four of the five games.

“He’s great,” guard Andrew Nembhard said of his new teammate. “I think he does a little bit of everything. It’s early and he’s gonna keep continuing to get a lot better but bright things are in the future for him on both sides of the ball.”

Walker averaged 14.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game at summer league. He didn’t shoot it well in Las Vegas — just 34.3% from the field — and this aggravation likely played a factor. Remember how he shot 3 for 13 in his first game?

“Nah,” he replied when asked if the first-game jitters impacted him, “it just wasn’t falling. They felt good.”

The Pacers’ young guys will reconvene in Indy by September.