Getting to Know the Pacers Summer League Roster

The Indiana Pacers Summer League team is ready to get things started on Friday afternoon in Las Vegas. They will face the Cleveland Cavaliers on ESPN 2 at 4:30 PM EST.

This is a great opportunity for each of these players to display their talents and prove to front offices across the league why they deserve a roster spot, two-way spot, or G-League opportunity.

For the Pacers, the roster is drastically different from last season, with Taelon Peter being the only returnee from last year's team. To better know the players that are playing for the Summer Pacers, I wanted to share interesting tidbits about each of them.

Braden Smith - Purdue

The Westfield native gets the opportunity of a lifetime by playing for his home team. He will be the most watched Pacer this Summer League, as fans will want to see what he can do on the NBA level. He leads the NCAA in all-time assists with 1,103. The previous leader was Duke's Bob Hurley at 1,076.

His mother, Ginny, was the 1997 Miss Basketball in Arkansas, and he learned how to play the point guard spot by watching YouTube videos of Jason Williams and Steve Nash.

Taelon Peter - Indiana Pacers

Taelon Peter Summer League | NBAE/Getty Images

Taelon is the third player to be selected out of Liberty. When the Pacers made this selection in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, people were stunned by not even having him on their radar. He joins former Liberty University players, Ezra Hill (selected in the 10th round of the 1984 draft by the Phoenix Suns), and Cliff Webber (selected in round four of the 1985 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics).

Kowacie Reeves, Jr. - Georgia Tech

KRJ — Nov 23, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Kowacie Reeves Jr. (14) dribbles against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

There have been four former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to play for the Indiana Pacers: Travis Best, Kenny Anderson, Duane Ferrell, and Phil Wagner. Kowacie Reeves Jr. is hoping to find himself on the Pacers roster someday, becoming the fifth Yellow Jacket to do so.

Kowacie Reeves Jr. is a sensational scorer, scoring 20 points or more in 8 games, and 15 points or more in 16 games in his senior season at Georgia Tech.

Gabe McGlothan - Noblesville Boom (G League)

Gabe McGlothan ws signed to a ten-day deal with the Pacers in December of last season but did not suit up for the team. The athletic forward won the 2024 State Farm Slam Dunk Contest, but went undrafted in the following draft.

He was signed by the Denver Nuggets' G-League team, the Grand Rapids Gold. In 2025 the Noblesville Boom made a three-team trade to acquire the versatile forward and he impressed. Scoring 15 points per game while shooting over 42% from three. He also was able to collect 6.7 rebounds per game, showing that he is a true stretch four.

Jalen Slawson - Indiana Pacers

Slawson is one of fourteen players to be selected out of Furman University, in Greenville. South Carolina. Known for his standout defense and high-motor, the Pacers offered Slawson a qualifying offer this offseason with the hopes of bringing him back on a two-way deal this offseason.

Fun fact: Slawson is a major fan of tattoos and the way he incorporates the love he has for his family and for tattoos is by having his family members jerseys tattooed on his body. Slawson told Scott Eisberg of ABC 4 News this, "Everyone who knows me knows how big of a deal family is to me. No better way to pay tribute to my family than to tattoo their jerseys on me."

Tamin Lipsey - Iowa State

Lipsey has had quite the success in his early basketball career. He was named Mr. Basketball and the Gatorade State Player of the Year in 2022. He also won a gold medal in the 2019 FIBA Americans U16 Championship.

He finished his collegiate career as the all-time leader in steals for the Cyclones, snatching the ball right from his opponents 314 times. He's also the only player in Big 12 Conference history to record at least 1,500 points, 600 assists, 500 rebounds, and 300 steals.

Rienk Mast - Nebraska

While he is a gifted basketball player with a solid three-point shot and great feel for the game, he is also an incredibly smart individual. While atteneding Nebraska, Mast graduated with a degree in physics and a master's degree in applied science.

Before falling in love with the game of basketball, Mast spent years participating in what is known as "korfball". According to Wikipedia, "The objective is to throw a ball into a netless basket that is mounted on a 11.5 foot pole. Each team is composed of four female players and four male players." This was a game created in 1902 in the Netherlands, and is a mixture of basketball, netball and ringball.

Keba Keita - Brigham Young

From a previous article I wrote on a handful of players joining the Summer League, this was intriguing information to find out about the athletic center from BYU:

"Keita was born in Mali, a landlocked country in West Africa, and was a standout volleyball player. In an interview with Hoops Hype, Keita discussed how his team won a volleyball championship and received nothing more than a small trophy, but the second and third place teams received medals. He quit the next day and shortly after started playing basketball, thanks to his mother pushing him to do something different."

Jalen Warley - Gonzaga

Mar 21, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Jalen Warley (8) dribbles in the second half against the Texas Longhorns during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jalen Warley's grandfather played for the Philadelphia 76ers back in the day, and was actually teammates with the great Wilt Chamberlain. After spending three seasons with Florida State, Warley transferred to Virginia, however he never played a game for the Cavaliers because of a coaching change. He then transferred to play for Mark Few of Gonzaga, with the hopes of adding his defensive speciality to an offensive minded team.

Yuki Kawamura - Chicago Bulls

Kawamura is the shortest player to ever wear a Chicago Bulls jersey, as he stands just 5-foot 7-inches tall. The Japanese point guard spent time with the Bulls and Grizzlies' organizations, but now will wear the Pacers Summer League jersey as he seeks the next opportunity for his career.

In the 2024 Olympics, Kawamura dropped 29 points, six assists, and seven rebounds against France in a 94-90 overtime loss. He outscored every single player in this game, including the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Victor Wembanyama.

Taevion Kinsey - Santa Cruz Warriors (G League)

The Columbus, Ohio native spent all five seasons of his college career at Marshall University. A handful of successful NBA players have attended Marshall such as: Jason Williams, Hal Greer, Mike D'Antoni, George Stone, and Hassan Whiteside.

Kinsey holds the record for the most points scored in Marshall school history with 2,641 career points, has played the most games for the school's program, and was the 2023 Sun Belt Player of the Year.

Alex Reese - Rip City Remix (G League)

When they say that everyone has a different journey to where they end up, Alex Reese certainly is the prime example of that. After going undrafted in 2021, Reese was without money so elected to become a bartender and move furniture before pursuing his professional basketball career.

In July of 2022 he joined the Luxembourg Basketball League, averaging 23.7 points in 27 games. Next year, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers signed him after a workout but he was released just nine days later. He was then claimed off waivers by the Rip City Remix, playing in 43 games and averaging 11.5 points per game.

This led to a Summer League opportunity with the Trail Blazers, and then a short stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder. After a month-long journey in OKC, he was waived and rejoined the Remix. After another successful stint with the Rip City, he earned a two-way deal with the 76ers but was eventually released again. He then re-signed with the Remix for all of last season, and is now on the Pacers Summer League team.

Keion Brooks Jr. - Noblesville Boom (G League)

KBJ — Keion Brooks Jr. | Noblesville Boom Social Media

Brooks was born and raised in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and was traded to the Boom from the Birmingham Squadron. In a game for the Boom, Brooks scored a career-high 40 points. Like any smart comic book lover, Brooks is infatuated with Spider-Man, and dressed up as the friendly neighborhood character for his first six Halloweens.

Brooks averaged 21.3 points last season for the Boom, adding 7.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.

Cameron Hildreth - Noblesville Boom (G League)

Hildreth grew up in the United Kingdom and had to learn the fast-paced style of play in the United States of America. He was a part of the Wake Forest team that had standout guard, Alondes WIlliams, and Los Angeles Lakers forward, Jake LaRavia.

Hildreth played 38 games for the Boom last season and saw his role continue to increase as the Boom dealt with injuries, players leaving, and the Pacers two-way contract players spending more time in the NBA than in the G-League. This led to opportunities for Hildreth that he wouldn't have gotten, and he took advantage of it by scoring a career-high, 34 points, against College Park.

MJ Iraldi - Noblesville Boom (G League)

Iraldi played his basketball at Nova Southeastern University, a school that has not produced any NBA players. This is a Division II school that Iraldi had terrific success at, leading them to a Championship while also leading the league in points his senior season with a total of 873.

The 24-year-old played in 29 games last season for the Boom, started in five, and averaged 9.9 points per contest.

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