Pacers GM's Message to Braden Smith After Summer League

Chad Buchanan shared how he used the early struggles of T.J. McConnell and Jalen Brunson to encourage the Pacers' second-round pick after Summer League.

Mar 7, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) celebrates a referee call during the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Summer League came to an end for the Indiana Pacers, general manager Chad Buchanan set down and had a conversation with Braden Smith --the No. 38 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft-- about his play.

Buchanan told me in our interview on Setting the Pace that he went through rookie Summer League stats for a lot of players that are now playing very well in the NBA to reassure Smith that an underwhelming showing isn't something to hang his head about. In their conversations he shared three examples of smaller guards who struggled in their first Summer League showings.

"From T.J. McConnell, to Jalen Brunson, to Jose Alvarado. There's these smaller guards that went into Summer League as a rookie and really struggled. And that's just part of learning the NBA game and adapting to it."

Buchanan shared more on what he saw from Smith in Summer League, "I thought Braden did a great job of getting guys shots. I think that's always going to be the strength of his game. He generates open looks for his teammates, and that's what the strength of his game is always going to be."

In terms of what Buchanan would like to see Smith improve upon, the Pacers GM said, "I would like to see him develop a little more physicality. I think that will be a focus for him moving forward with his development, and a little more confidence, [specifically] looking to score the ball more."

But at the end of the day, the Pacers GM didn't walk away discouraged by his point guard's play. In fact, he stated just how difficult it is to learn the point guard spot as a rookie, "They're playing with new players, they're playing in a new system, [for] a new coach, so there's always going to be an adjustment.

Buchanan added that "the point guard position, specifically, is the hardest to position to learn in the NBA." Which highlights just what challenges Smith faced, and that doesn't factor in how wonky the build of the Pacers Summer League roster was.

That being said, after spending a week as the team's primary ball handler, the 5-foot-11 Smith averaged a lowly 6.8 points, a solid 7.0 assists, and mediocre 2.8 turnovers per game. He did all of this while shooting a horrific 26.4% from the field and poor 29.4% from three.

Feb 26, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) looks at a referee during the first half of a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Outside of one strong showing in the fourth quarter against the 76ers Summer League team, most of Smith's play left a lot to be desired. Nonetheless, it is irrational to base your entire judgment of how Smith will project as a pro off of a one-week sample size.

We will have a better pulse for who Smith can be in the NBA after a year of development with the Pacers' G League team, the Noblesville Boom. As he gets acclimated to playing within the Pacers and Boom's system, and adjusts to the pace and speed of the NBA.

At the end of the conversation regarding Braden Smith on Setting the Pace, Buchanan share that he should have optimism for how he played in those five games.

"Overall, I thought Braden should feel relatively pleased of how things went for his first jump into the water, into the deep end.”

Hopefully Smith can use his experience in the Summer League as motivation to push him to be a much better player and a part of this franchise for the long haul.

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