Over the past week, the Indiana Pacers have been making moves. Not big splashes, but not sitting idle either. The moves represent a balanced approach: adding young talent with upside, retaining efficient depth, and bolstering the perimeter with veteran experience. Here's what it all means.

Braden Smith: Homegrown Talent Comes Home

The Pacers got their guy. On draft night, Indiana traded for Braden Smith, the NCAA's all-time assists leader from Purdue, with the No. 38 overall pick. To acquire him, the Pacers sent the Chicago Bulls:

  • Kam Jones (the 38th pick from last year's draft)
  • Future second-round pick swaps
  • Cash considerations

The Financial Details

By dealing away Kam Jones, who was set to earn over $2 million next season, the Pacers cleared valuable cap space while gaining control of a young point guard prospect. Smith will sign a two-way contract, earning just over $679,000 for next season—a fraction of what a standard rookie contract would cost.

According to GM Chad Buchanan, the rationale was clear: "We wanted to create some roster flexibility, some cap flexibility if we were able to. We wanted to get a two-way potential player at the point guard position. After what we've gone through the last couple years with our point guard spot, you feel like we need another guy there if at all possible."

What Smith Brings

The 5-foot-10 Westfield native is a local kid who averaged 14.3 points and 8.8 assists per game last season at Purdue. His size will be a challenge in the NBA—he'll have to overcome it just as he did at every level—but his basketball IQ, toughness, and playmaking are undeniable.

"As we watched him there at the pre-draft camp for a couple games, when the ball's in his hands, your team usually gets a good shot," Buchanan said. "When we watched Andrew Nembhard at the Combine, a lot of the same things were happening when Andrew had the ball as what we saw with Braden with the ball."

That's a valuable skill. The Pacers needed point guard depth after asking non-point guards to fill that role during Tyrese Haliburton's absence. Smith can develop in the G League with the Noblesville Boom while providing emergency depth if injuries strike again.

Micah Potter: A No-Risk, High-Reward Move

The Pacers exercised the $2.8 million team option on center Micah Potter's 2026-27 contract, keeping the efficient big man on the roster while maintaining flexibility.

Potter's deal is fully non-guaranteed, meaning the Pacers can waive him before his guarantee date (January 10) without taking a major salary cap hit. This is a classic move from a front office managing luxury tax constraints.

Last season, Potter provided exactly what the Pacers needed: floor spacing, shooting, and energy. In 47 games, he averaged 9.7 points on 51.5% shooting overall and an impressive 42.3% from three-point range. He nearly hit the 50-40-90 club, falling short only at the free throw line.

"Micah did some great things for us. His shooting was exceptional for a center," Buchanan said. "But it is a position we'll continue to evaluate in these coming weeks."

Kelly Oubre Jr.: The Free Agent Get

The big move came Wednesday when the Pacers signed Kelly Oubre Jr. to a two-year, nearly $17 million deal. This was exactly the wing depth the front office identified as a priority. Though perhaps not the self-creator that many of us expected them to target.

The Contract Details

Notably, this deal is above the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception threshold, meaning the Pacers are using the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception. This hard-caps Indiana at the First Salary Cap Apron ($209 million), and with the team currently around $207 million in salary, there's virtually no room for additional moves—but the signing directly addressed a critical need.

How Oubre Fits

The 6-foot-8, 30-year-old wing spent three seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers rebuilding his career and his game. Last season, he averaged 14.1 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting a career-best 36% from three. More importantly, he's a true 3-and-D wing—exactly what Buchanan said the Pacers needed.

"The wing position would probably be one where, if we can add some wing depth, that would help," Buchanan said after the draft.

Oubre fills that role. He's a rim finisher (scoring on roughly 70% of his shots at the basket), a capable three-point shooter, and a mobile defender who can move and switch. He also brings rebounding, an area where the Pacers have struggled. And perhaps most importantly, he can play fast, and will fit right in helping us create defense into quick offense.

For a Pacers team still learning to operate under luxury tax and hard-cap constraints, Oubre represents a calculated risk. He's 30 years old entering the final years of his career, but he's also a known commodity with playoff experience—something the Pacers value as they look to return to contention with a healthy Tyrese Haliburton.

The two-year deal keeps him affordable, which is a lens that we will have to see every move through for the foreseeable future. The contract is fully guaranteed with no options.

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