Grading the Indiana Pacers' Offseason Moves

As the Indiana Pacers' available spending is all but dried up, now is a good time to look back at the moves the front office made this offseason and hand out some grades.

Obviously, these grades are premature without seeing how the new additions perform in meaningful games. But based on the value of each move, roster fit, financial impact, and what the Pacers are trying to accomplis this summer, here's how I felt about each transaction.

1. Signing Kelly Oubre Jr. to a 2-year, $16.5 million deal

Grade: A

Finding a quality wing off the bench was priority numero uno for the blue and gold this offseason, and Kelly Oubre Jr. checks just about every box.

Oubre has been a journeyman for much of his career, bouncing between starting and reserve roles, but he has consistently been a positive contributor wherever he's gone. With Indiana already having a core-seven man group in place, making Oubre the eighth man of that core is tremendous value.

He is a serviceable defender who can help should the load alongside Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith, evolved into a more reliable three-point shooter by posting a career-best 36 percent from deep last season, and remains a capable scorer after averaging 14 points per game as the fifth option in Philadelphia's starting lineup.

His athleiticism, rebounding from the wing, size, length, and overall consistency are exactly what Indiana needed after trading Bennedict Mathurin in the Ivica Zubac deal.

Replacing someone as talented as Mathurin was never going be easy, but adding a veteran with Oubre's experience on a reasonable contract is a win for the Pacers. Convincing a proven starter to accept a bench role because he wanted be part of Indiana's culture says a lot about where this franchise currently stands.

Considering the Pacers' financial limitations, this was one of the best moves they could have made.

2. Waiving Micah Potter and signing Larry Nance Jr. to a veteran's minimum contract

Grade: C+

When I first found out the Pacers were waiving Micah Potter to sign Larry Nance Jr., my immediate reaction was simple: Are we sure that Nance is actually better than Potter?

From a pure talent perspective, I think it's close.

Potter provides more floor spacing and outside shooting, while Nance brings significantly more NBA experience, stronger defensive instincts, and better playmaking in the frontcourt.

This move also accomplished something important financially. By replacing Potter with Nance, Indiana saved roughly $400,000 in salary. Every dollar matters for a team operating as a taxpayer while being hard-capped at the first apron.

Nance also has established relationships with Ivica Zubac and T.J. McConnell, which should help the locker room and overall chemistry. Defensively, he's someone Rick Carlisle can trust more than Potter, and while he doesn't provide the same shooting ability, he can impact games with his passing, energy, and versatility. In a lot of ways, he will fill the Isaiah Jackson role: he is smaller in size, not the rim protector Jackson is, but is more of an athletic finisher with strong playmaking instincts.

That said, this wasn't the backup center move I was hoping and expecting to see.

The Pacers' front office spent much of the offseason talking about upgrading the backup five spot, and while they technically made a change, Nance doesn't really push Jay Huff for that role. He's undersized as a center and isn't someone I expect to play meaningful playoff minutes unless injuries force him into action.

I understand the financial ressoning, and I understand why the front office trusts Nance more than Potter. But from an on-court perspective, I would have preferred they target soneone capable of legitimately competing for the backup center role. That's why this lands at a C+. The salary savings and locker room boost prevent it from being a lower grade, but I wasn't overally excited about the basketball fit.

3. Re-signing Kobe Brown to a two-way contract

Apr 10, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Kobe Brown (24) drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) during the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Grade: A

This was one of the craftiest moves of the offseason.

Kobe Brown really took a step forward after being traded from the Clippers to the Pacers last season, but not quite enough to warrant a standard NBA contract. Indiana was able to capitalize after the Clippers declined Brown's fourth-year rook option, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Because Brown only has three years of NBA service, he was still eligible for one final season on a two-way contract. That's where the Pacers struck.

Indiana now gets another year to develop a player who already understands their system and can split time between the Pacers and the Noblesville Boom without counting against the team's salary cap. Brown also provides legitimate NBA experience and has already shown he can contribute when called upon.

Another underrated aspect of this move is that Indiana will retain Brown's Bird Rights next offseason. If the Pacers open up a standard roster spot through trade or decide to not bring back one of their restricted free agents, Brown becomes a logical candidate to earn a full-time NBA contract.

Brown is taking a significant pay cut to return, which also speaks volumes about the tryst he has in Indiana's player development staff. This isn't a move that will dominate headlines, but it's another example of the front office maximizing every available roster spot.

4. Trading Kam Jones to the Chicago Bulls for Braden Smith and reportedly signing Smith to a two-way contract

Apr 5, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Kam Jones (7) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Grade: C

With no disrespect to Braden Smith, trading Kam Jones' partially guaranteed contract and taking back zero salary in return was tremendous business.

That move got Indiana under the luxury tax line and gave the Pacers access to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which ultimately helped then maximize what little financial flexibility they had left.

The basketball side of this move, however, is where I have more questions.

Smith had an incredible career at Purdue, leading the Boilermakers to multiple deep NCAA Tournament runs while finishing as college basketball's all-time leader in assists. His toughness, competitiveness and basketball IQ make it easy to understand why the Pacers believe he could eventually develop into the next T.J. McConnell.

But using one of your three two-way contracts on Smith comes with opportunity cost.

The Pacers have to choose between players like Jalen Slawson, Taelon Peter, and Ethan Thompson for their remaining two-way spot, and I think there's a real argument that all three are better NBA-ready players and better fits for Indiana's current roster than Smith. That's what makes this move more difficult for me to fully get behind.

Smith is still a good player and absolutely worth investing in. If he makes the necessary strides over the next few seasons, this could eventually prove to be a strong addition. But his Summer League play has mostly been underwhelming, highlighting just how big the jump is from college basketball to the NBA.

His passing ability and feel for the game are obvious. The bigger concern is whether a 5-foot-11 guard without elite athleticism can consistently overcome those physical limitations at the NBA level.

At this point, I view Smith as Indiana's fifth point guard behind Tyrese Haliburton, T.J. McConnell, Andrew Nembhard, and Quenton Jackson. Purdue fans should expect to see him spend plenty of time developing with the Boom this season.

The financial side of this transaction deserves praise, but the basketball decision is much harder for me to endorse today, which is why I settled on a C.

5. Guaranteeing Quenton Jackson's contract

Apr 7, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) shoots the ball while Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley (10) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Grade: C

By guaranteeing Quenton Jackson's contract, the Pacers essentially dried up what little flexibility they had left from a free agency standpoint.

Jackson earned his standard contract at the end of February last season and deserved the opportunity. After signing the deal, though, his play became more inconsistent.

Rick Carlisle described Jackson earning his first NBA contract as reaching the top of one mountain, only to immediately starting climbing the next one. That's where Jackson finds himself now.

He's a combo guard capable of playing either backcourt position and has shown flashes that prove he belongs in the NBA. The issue has been sustaining that level of play consistently.

That's why I view him as an end-of-the-roster player. He'll be called upon when injuries happen, but I don't expect him to be part of Indiana's regular rotation.

Could the Pacers have waived Jackson and pursued someone with a higher ceiling? Probably. But Jackson has earned the trust of the coaching staff, understands the system, and fits the culture that has been built inside this organization.

This move doesn't really move the needle in either direction. Keeping him made sense, but it also didn't significantly improve the roster.

That's why I landed on a C.

Final Thoughts

KOJ Hali — Jan 18, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Pacers' offseason wasn't the splash fans were hoping for after coming within one win of an NBA championship in 2025, but that doesn't mean it was a failure. Kelly Oubre Jr. was an excellent addition who should immediately strengthen Indiana's rotation, while the rest of the moves were more about maximizing roster flexibility, preserving financial breathing room, and adding depth around the edges.

None of those transactions are likely to dramatically change the team's ceiling, but they all fit within the front office's long-term vision of remaining competitive while navigating the challenges of the luxury tax and the first apron.

It's also impossible to evaluate the offseason without acknowledging the role the draft lotter played. Had the ping pong balls bounced differently and Indiana kept its top-four pick, this summer would've looked completely different. Instead, the Pacers pivoted, made the best of a difficult fianancial situation, and address their biggest roster need by adding another prove wing.

They didn't hit a home run, but they also didn't strike out. Overall, I give Indiana's offseason a B-. The roster is a litte deeper, a little more balanced, and slightly better than it was when the offseason began, even if it wasn't the transformative summer many fans envisioned.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

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