Does It Make Sense For The Indiana Pacers To Fill 15th Roster Spot?

NASSAU, BAHAMAS - JULY 06: Ethan Thompson of Puerto Rico drives to the handbasket during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Group B Americas Qualifiers crippled betwixt Bahamas and Puerto Rico astatine Sir Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium connected July 06, 2026 successful Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Kevin Ortiz/FIBA via Getty Images)

FIBA via Getty Images

The Indiana Pacers roster makes sense, astatine slightest connected paper, arsenic the extremity of July approaches. Their free agency moves, particularly ones concerning modular contracts, could beryllium vanished for the 2026 offseason.

But that is not definite. And that the Pacers still person their lone 2026 NBA Draft prime unsigned suggests their beforehand agency is still considering really to finalize the backmost extremity of its roster. Braden Smith, the Pacers action pinch the 38th wide pick successful June, is one of 11 draught picks arsenic of this penning who has not yet signed a statement for the coming season.

Only 1 subordinate selected supra Smith, the injured Richie Saunders of the Memphis Grizzlies (who will request to clear roster spots), has not yet inked a contract. Smith is successful a unsocial spot, and the Pacers existent net headdress reality appears to beryllium a factor.

After Quenton Jackson saw his statement go afloat guaranteed for the Pacers earlier this month, the squad has 14 players signed to fully-guaranteed deals. Their full squad salary, positive incentives, is astir $206.8 million. They are difficult capped astatine the first net headdress apron aft using the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception to motion Kelly Oubre early successful free agency, truthful the Pacers’ full squad net positive incentives cannot transverse $209.015 cardinal for immoderate logic during the 2026-27 campaign.

The speedy math: The Pacers are $2.23 cardinal beneath the first apron. A veteran’s minimum statement – the lowest imaginable net for a subordinate pinch two-plus years of work signed during the offseason – comes pinch a headdress deed of $2.45 million. Since that number is larger than Indiana’s first apron space, they are not capable to adhd a subordinate utilizing a veteran’s minimum woody correct now.

Teams tin transportation 15 players connected modular contracts successful the regular season, truthful the Pacers do person 1 unfastened roster spot. But they tin presently only spend to adhd a subordinate pinch zero aliases 1 years of work successful that spot and can’t adhd a seasoned until November 5 – aft the season, and training camp, has started.

Who could beryllium successful the operation for a statement pinch the Pacers?

Smith has zero years of service, meaning he technically could motion a modular statement pinch the Pacers correct now. His minimum net could spell arsenic debased arsenic $1.27 cardinal for the coming campaign. But the Pacers reportedly agreed to a two-way statement pinch Smith conscionable aft the draft, complicating matters.

Plans tin change, and the Pacers could change people if it gives the squad much options. That’s wherever things get much complicated. Since the commencement of the free agency period, Indiana has signed Jalen Slawson and Kobe Brown to two-way contracts, and teams are permitted to person up to 3 players nether two-way pacts astatine the aforesaid time.

That’s wherever Ethan Thompson enters the picture. Thompson, 27, signed a two-year, two-way statement pinch the Pacers successful November of 2025. So he is presently the Pacers 3rd and last two-way statement subordinate – meaning that technically, arsenic of this writing, location is nary two-way opening for Smith.

Thompson did not play successful Summer League for the Pacers, alternatively spending his early July pinch the Puerto Rican National Team for FIBA World Cup qualifying play. He averaged 15.5 points and 4.0 assists per game, often proving to beryllium his team’s champion player. He knocked down precisely half of his changeable attempts.

Smith, meanwhile, did play successful Summer League for the Pacers. He struggled to make shots, shooting conscionable 26.5% from the section while averaging 6.8 points per game, but he was apical 5 successful assists and averaged 7 per title during summertime convention play. He had a awesome accommodation from assemblage to the Pacers successful position of play style.

Waiving a two-way statement subordinate comes pinch small punishment and nary headdress hit, truthful the Pacers could opt to waive Thompson (or Brown/Slawson, but their much caller contracts propose they are safe) and motion Smith to a two-way deal, arsenic primitively planned. Doing truthful would support their 15th roster spot open, a good action fixed the team’s deficiency of flexibility. But they would apt person little players nether statement by pursuing this route, and they would suffer Thompson – who has 2 years of service.

That could beryllium what Pacers brass is juggling: Can they support some Smith and Thompson? Financially, yes they can, and keeping 2 players alternatively of conscionable 1 sounds better. But signing Smith (or immoderate subordinate pinch zero aliases 1 years of service) to a modular statement eats into the team’s first apron elasticity while besides expanding their luxury taxation measure for small on-court benefit.

“We’re very, very tight to the first apron wherever we’re difficult capped now,” Pacers general head Chad Buchanan said connected the Setting The Pace podcast this month. “We person different options to capable successful that 15th [roster] spot. We’re still benignant of making that decision, moving done immoderate choices astatine the backmost extremity of the roster astatine the 15th spot [and] pinch the two-way spots.”

The replacement to keeping some players would beryllium waiving Thompson, past signing Smith to a two-way statement via the slot Thompson vacated. Thompson was fantabulous successful the G League past season, averaging 26.9 points per game, and appeared successful 32 games for the Pacers.

It’s not an easy telephone for the Pacers. Flexibility tin beryllium a buzzword by NBA determination makers – but fixed Indiana’s proximity to the first apron, they person existent elasticity tradeoffs to see pinch their 15th roster spot. Smith and Thompson are the astir evident 2 characters, but much could beryllium successful play.

“We for illustration Braden. Haven’t decided precisely what we’re going to do yet. We’re still benignant of moving done that decision-making process because we person respective guys that we for illustration and we want to keep,” Buchanan said. “And truthful [we’re] trying to fig retired what’s the champion avenue to support each those guys successful play for us.”

It isn’t clear if filling their 15th roster spot is the correct prime for the Pacers. They could opt to adhd anyone pinch zero aliases 1 twelvemonth of NBA work clip and person nary existent deadline to make a decision, though anterior to training campy is simply a soft deadline. And Smith would surely dream to officially motion a statement arsenic soon arsenic possible. Once this is sorted out, the team’s roster will consciousness mostly group for the coming campaign.