Nate Taylor

IndyStar

CHICAGO — Kevin Pritchard and Larry Bird smiled and chatted throughout Thursday as they sat in courtside seats on the first day of scrimmages at the NBA draft combine.

Pritchard and Bird evaluated the large number of the draft prospects who participated at the event in a scene similar to what they did the previous four years.

Yet they have different titles, different roles and different responsibilities this time.

Pritchard, the Indiana Pacers new team president, spent much of the day speaking to league executives, former players and some analysts in between games. Bird, as the Pacers newest executive advisor, enjoyed watching the latest crop of players who are eager to find employment in the NBA. Pritchard, who assumed the top role in the Pacers’ front office last week from Bird, wanted his former boss to help him in what could be one of the most seismic offseasons in franchise history.

Read more from Nate: Four things to know about Kevin Pritchard.

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Bird agreed to Pritchard’s request. The two men led the Pacers’ interviews with nine prospects Wednesday and Thursday, including such players as UCLA’s T.J. Leaf, Louisville Donovan Mitchell and Wake Forest’s John Collins.

Bird will help Pritchard throughout the pre-draft period. Bird is expected to be involved in determining the Pacers’ draft board, player interviews and the team-held workouts, which are set to begin early next week. Pritchard, unlike in year’s past when he was the general manager, will decide which players the team selects with 18th and 48th picks – or if the team trades either of those picks on draft night. The draft is June 22.

After the draft, Bird plans to assist Pritchard in early July during the start of free agency. He is expected to be one of the several people involved when Pritchard meets with free agents during the league’s moratorium period.

“That’s the plan,” Bird told IndyStar late Thursday afternoon.

Then he continued to exit the gymnasium and enter a large black SUV with Pritchard and coach Nate McMillan.

The last time Pritchard and Bird made a joint public appearance was 10 days ago. Bird, during a news conference inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, explained his reasons for stepping down as the team’s president. He also emphasized that he would offer support if Pritchard needed it.

“The one thing I don’t want to do is get in Kevin’s way,” Bird said then. “This is Kevin’s team, he’s going to make the decisions based on how he feels he wants to build a team. That’s the last thing I want to do is get in somebody’s way. I know how difficult at times this job can be but if he’s got a question or he needs help on certain things I’d be glad to do that.”

When Bird walked off the dais that day — handing the job to Pritchard — he told his former deputy, “Good luck.”

Walking away: Doyel says Bird left the Paul George problem to someone else

Bird has noted that Pritchard is an executive who has proven in Portland that he can make the trades that can help build a franchise. Pritchard spent several minutes Thursday speaking with Sam Presti, the general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who has been an active executive in terms of trades.

Across the court from Pritchard and Bird was the group from the Los Angeles Lakers – team president Earvin “Magic” Johnson, general manager Rob Pelinka and coach Luke Walton. The ESPN cameras, which broadcast the event, cut to the two groups several times when discussing the future of Paul George, the Pacers best player, who is expected to opt out of his contract after this season. Johnson acknowledged last month in a late-night TV interview that he would love for Paul George to be a Laker.

Pritchard, though, said last week he wants to continue what Bird tried to do in building the Pacers into contenders by surrounding George with talented teammates. And as he transitions into his new job, Pritchard has prioritized having Bird next to him for advice.

“I think you have to be bold in this position but the one thing I’ve learned from Larry is how important continuity is,” Pritchard said last week. “I think when you say I’ve been a deal-maker or made moves, a lot of them have been in the summer and specifically in the draft. I don’t mind moving up. Once I see someone in the draft that I think can really help us, I want to be aggressive that way.

"(Director of scouting) Ryan Carr and our scouts do an amazing job of identifying talent and then it’s up to me to go figure out how to get them. So I like interchanging pieces, I like moving around in the draft. It doesn’t mean it happens every time but I want to be aggressive. I want to be out there and understand all the deals. I think that’s what I did for Larry and Larry either says yes or no and that’s why it worked so well with me and Larry.”

Call IndyStar reporter Nate Taylor at (317) 444-6484. Follow him on Twitter:@ByNateTaylor.

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