Pacers Sign Braden Smith to Two-Way Contract
The move gives the 38th pick an NBA pathway after roster shifts freed a two-way slot and leaves Indiana capped at 14 full contracts plus three two-way players.
Overview
- The Indiana Pacers have signed Purdue guard Braden Smith, their No. 38 pick in the 2026 draft, to a two-way contract, the team announced on Monday.
- Smith’s deal was made possible after the club’s offseason two-way churn — including Ethan Thompson signing in Europe and other waivers — opened the third two-way slot.
- The signing finalizes the Pacers’ roster at 14 standard contracts and three two-way players and leaves the team without enough room under the NBA’s first-apron hard cap to add a 15th standard player.
- Smith arrives with a decorated college résumé — two straight consensus first-team All-American seasons, 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year, and the NCAA career assists record — but his five-game Summer League showed strong playmaking with below-average shooting.
- The two-way deal lets Smith split time between the NBA and the G League’s Noblesville Boom, reduces unsigned 2026 draft picks by one, and positions him for development rather than an immediate full-time NBA role.