Pacers GM Points to First Apron as Reason Braden Smith Still Isn't Signed
· Yahoo Sports
Indiana's second-round pick from June remains unsigned, and Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan addressed the holdup on the Setting The Pace podcast.
"We're very, very tight to the first apron where we're hard-capped now," Buchanan said. "We have different options to fill that 15th spot. We're still kind of making that decision, making some choices at the back end of the roster, the 15th spot and the two-way spots. Braden is a guy we valued in the draft for his play-making, his IQ and his toughness. We haven't decided exactly what we're gonna do now because we have several guys that we like and we want to keep. We're trying to figure out what's the best avenue to keep all those guys in play for us."
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Indiana has re-signed Kobe Brown and Jalen Slawson to two-way deals and carried Ethan Thompson over on his two-way contract from last season. Teams may carry three two-way players. All three slots are full.
Braden Smith is the fourth name. Buchanan said the front office wants to keep all four, which would mean signing Smith to a standard contract and filling the 15th roster spot with him. A rookie minimum deal for Smith would come in around $1.35 million.
The Pacers hard-capped themselves at the first apron when they used the non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Kelly Oubre Jr., who signed for two years and roughly $16.5 million. Indiana currently has 14 standard contracts.
Smith went No. 38 overall in the 2026 draft. Indiana acquired the pick from the Chicago Bulls on draft night, sending Kam Jones, second-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030, and cash considerations to Chicago. Smith spent four seasons at Purdue, holds the NCAA Division I career record for assists, and averaged 14.3 points and 8.8 assists as a senior. He turned 23 in July.
Two-way contracts do not count against the salary cap. The 2026-27 two-way salary is just over $679,000, half the minimum for a player with no NBA service.
Slawson made his case in Las Vegas this month, and his Summer League play has put him in the conversation for a larger role. He averaged 20.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 42.9% from the field. Slawson played 13 games for Indiana last season with six starts, averaging 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on 44.2% shooting and 37.5% from 3-point range.
Brown joined Indiana in the Ivica Zubac trade in February, averaging 9.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 27 games. Thompson played for Puerto Rico in FIBA this summer. Indiana relied on non-point guards during Tyrese Haliburton's absence. Taelon Peter, who had a two-way deal from last year's Summer League, is no longer on one.
Indiana has until the regular season starts to fill the 15th spot, and Smith can sign a two-way deal anytime if a slot opens.
Kevin Pritchard remains Indiana's president of basketball operations. Rick Carlisle is entering his sixth season in his second stint as Pacers coach.
The Pacers went 19-63. Haliburton missed all of it recovering from a torn right Achilles.