The Pacers used this week to dot some I's and cross some T's. They made three moves in the span of about 36 hours — one veteran addition, one salary casualty, and one familiar face brought back on the cheap — all in service of the same puzzle Indiana has been solving since the moment they signed Kelly Oubre and hard-capped themselves at the first apron.

Here's the week that was, and... oh by the way, our first game thread of the new year!

Larry Nance Jr. joins the frontcourt

The signature move was bringing in Larry Nance Jr. on a minimum-salary deal that tops out around $4 million in total value. As an 11-year veteran, Nance qualifies for the largest possible veteran minimum — $3.88 million for the coming season — but because the league reimburses the difference on minimum contracts, his cap hit on a one-year deal comes in at just $2.45 million.

At 33, Nance is no longer the guy who averaged double figures for Cleveland back in 2019-20. Last season, as a depth big for an Eastern Conference Finalist Cavaliers squad, he managed just 3.7 points and 2.7 rebounds across 35 appearances and two playoff games. His on-court role now is modest — a mobile, rebounding-forward-turned-backup-five who competes for minutes with Jay Huff behind Ivica Zubac.

The honest read here is that Nance is a locker-room signing as much as a basketball one. He's been described for years as an elite behind-the-scenes leader, the kind of veteran presence our organization highly values.

Micah Potter is the odd man out

Unfortunately, NBA roster math is often a zero sum game. After the Oubre signing hard-capped them at the first apron, the Pacers were left with less than $2 million of breathing room. Nance's $2.45 million hit didn't fit, so something had to give.

That something was Micah Potter, whose $2.8 million salary for 2026-27 was completely non-guaranteed — which made him the cleanest, most convenient way to create room without needing a trade partner to sign off. Waiving him leaves no cap charge on the books.

From a pure production standpoint, it stings a little. Potter had the best year of his career last season, putting up 9.7 points and 5.0 rebounds a game and shooting it genuinely well for a center. But he was, at best, in a coin-flip battle with Huff for the backup five spot heading into camp, and the arrival of Nance plus the existing depth — Zubac, Huff, and small-ball looks from Obi Toppin, Jarace Walker, and Pascal Siakam — made his non-guaranteed number an easy lever to pull. He could still be claimed on waivers; if he clears, Indiana could theoretically circle back on an Exhibit 10 deal.

Kobe Brown returns on a two-way

The third move is the one Pacers fans should feel good about. Kobe Brown — who came over in the Zubac trade and quietly became a useful piece down the stretch — is back on a two-way contract.

Brown averaged 9.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in his two months with Indiana, a real jump from his Clippers production, and he credited the fit to the Pacers' style. He is a plus rebounder for his size and if he can continue to shoot the ball well, he'll continue to be a useful depth piece.

The two-way structure makes it a no-brainer for the team. It comes with no cap hit, pays Brown roughly $675k, and lets him bounce between Indiana and the Noblesville Boom for development reps. Because he'll cross four years of service during the deal, it can only run one year by rule — but if he finishes the season with the Pacers, Indiana holds full Bird Rights on him next summer. He's older than your typical two-way signee (he turns 27 this season), but he'll also be more useful in actual NBA minutes than most two-way guys, and for a team hoping to win games, that is the Pacers' priority.

Brown's arrival fills Indiana's third two-way slot alongside Taelon Peter and Ethan Thompson, with rookie Braden Smith slated for a two-way as well and a qualifying offer still out to Jalen Slawson. There's a genuine logjam brewing there — one that Summer League is going to help sort out.

Which brings us to Friday

The Summer Pacers open against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Las Vegas. It's the first of four guaranteed games before the event shifts to its playoff format.

The headliner is obvious: Braden Smith, the Westfield native and former Purdue star making his Pacers debut in front of a fan base that's been waiting to see him. The No. 38 pick leads all of NCAA history in career assists (1,103), and this is his first real chance to run an NBA offense. You'd imagine he's more or less a lock for one of the two-way spots — but with the aforementioned logjam in place, he can't afford to lay an egg over the next few two weeks.

Right next to him is Taelon Peter, the lone holdover from last year's Summer League squad and a player entering a pivotal second summer. The Liberty product was drafted for his shooting but hit just 32.8% from three on 125 attempts as a rookie, so the arrow needs to point up. Pairing him with a natural point guard in Smith is the best possible setup to build some chemistry and show growth — a preview of what the two could look like together with the Boom.

Also worth tracking: Jalen Slawson, whose two-way qualifying offer makes him a restricted free agent and puts him squarely in that three-way (four-way, really) competition for two-way slots. Among the newcomers, keep an eye on the players with actual NBA experience — Keion Brooks Jr., Yuki Kawamura (all 5-foot-7 of him), and Alex Reese — who project as the standouts of the new group. Undrafted rookie Kowacie Reeves Jr. is a name I'll be watching too. He's talked openly about needing to push pace and rebound to earn a spot, which is exactly the right thing to understand about how this organization plays.

On the Cleveland side, the draw is second-round pick Meleek Thomas, plus Nae'Qwan Tomlin. Notably, Larry Nance Jr. spent last season with the Cavs — so there's a small bit of poetry in Indiana's new veteran addition watching his old team open against his new one.

Summer League results are famously close to meaningless in predictive terms. But the storylines are real: a homegrown lead guard's debut, a second-year shooter trying to justify a roster spot, and a two-way logjam that these next four games will start to untangle. After a week spent balancing the cap sheet, it's a nice change of pace to just watch some basketball.

How to Watch

Tipoff is at 4:30 PM ET on ESPN2.

See ya in the comments!