coach Nate McMillan, despite the recent extension. On October 20, 2020, it was announced that former Toronto Raptors assistant coach, Nate Bjorkgren, had signed a multi-year deal to become the next head coach. On January 16, 2021, Victor Oladipo was traded to the Houston Rockets as a part of a four-team deal that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets and Caris LeVert to Indiana. Sabonis would go on to earn his second NBA All-Star appearance during the 2020-2021 Pacers season. The team also signed Oshae Brissett this year. The season would end in the 2021 NBA Play-In Tournament in a loss to the Washington Wizards. After missing the 2021 NBA Playoffs, and amid reported locker room tension, the Pacers fired Bjorkgren on June 9, 2021. On June 24, 2021, the Pacers announced that they had reached an agreement with former Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle to become the next head coach following Bjorkgren's departure. Carlisle previously was an assistant coach for the Pacers from 1997 to 2000, and was also the head coach of the Pacers previously from 2003 to 2007. The team also hired former Charlotte Hornets assistant and Indiana-native Ronald Nored as well as former Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce to serve as lead assistant to Carlisle. The arrival of Carlisle also brought over Jenny Boucek and Mike Weinar, both formerly serving with the Dallas Mavericks. Boucek served as the first female assistant coach for the Pacers franchise. In the 2021 NBA Draft, the Pacers selected Chris Duarte with the 13th pick and traded up for the 22nd pick, Isaiah Jackson. Duarte was selected to the 2022 NBA All-Rookie Second Team. The Pacers failed to qualify for the 2022 NBA Playoffs with a record of 25–57 in the 2021–22 NBA season, which marks the first time the team failed to reach the playoffs for consecutive seasons since 2007–10. The 2021–22 season also saw fan-favorite Lance Stephenson serve his third stint with the Pacers franchise. During the season, the Pacers traded away core players including Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, and Malcolm Brogdon over the summer. In return, the Pacers notably received multiple first–round draft picks, sharpshooter Buddy Hield, veteran Daniel Theis, as well as young stars Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Smith and Aaron Nesmith, all lottery picks in the 2020 NBA Draft. The team would go on to draft Bennedict Mathurin 6th overall in