Where do Braden Smith and Johnny Furphy Rank Amongst Pacers' Youth?

At the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, the Pacers set a franchise-high in losses with 63. All those losses were supposed to amount to a top-four draft pick in the loaded 2026 NBA Draft, but just like everything else for the Pacers since June 22, 2025, nothing has gone their way.

There are three Pacers currently on rookie-scale deals: Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy. Ethan Thompson, Jalen Slawson, and Kobe Brown are on two-way deals, and Braden Smith remains unsigned.

The remainder of the Pacers roster is either signed to their post-rookie deals or they are seasoned veterans like Siakam, Zubac, McConnell, and Oubre Jr. This doesn't leave the Pacers with much in their youth pipeline, especially if you consider that Walker and Sheppard are in the final year of their rookie deals.

This is truly a win-now team and prioritizing youth and development isn't the main goal. They traded their 2022 first-round selection in Bennedict Mathurin for Ivica Zubac. They moved off their 2024 and 2026 first-round picks for Pascal Siakam. They then traded their 2025 first round pick to the Pelicans to reacquire their 2026 first-round pick. And then flipped that pick with Mathurin in the Zubac deal.

Outside of the 2023 first-round draft picks of Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard, Indiana doesn't have any of their first-round selections since Rick Carlisle took over as head coach in 2021 on the roster.

Player	Year	What Happened to Player
Chris Duarte	2021	Traded to Sacramento
Isaiah Jackson	2021	Traded to LA Clippers
Bennedict Mathurin	2022	Traded to LA Clippers
Jarace Walker	2023	Still on Roster
Ben Sheppard	2023	Still on Roster
Traded Pick	2024	Used to Acquire Siakam
Traded Pick	2025	Used to Acquire 2026 1st
Traded Pick	2026	Used to Acquire Zubac

As you can see, the last few seasons Indiana has prioritized trading their picks to acquire established players. You can put an asterisk by last season's result--because the team most certainly wanted to keep their top-four pick-but landing Zubac was more important to them than drafting a rookie guard who would struggle to find playing time in the rotation.

With that said, I want to rank the youth (players on rookie contracts and two-way deals) on the Pacers roster based on their: long-term future with the team, overall talent, and how they fit into the team's financial plans.

1. Johnny Furphy

It truly is a shame that Furphy tore his ACL last season agaisnt the Raptors. He was carving out a role for himself and developing before our eyes. This injury took away what could have been valuable reps for him, but the good news for Furphy is that the team saw enough to be overly excited for his future.

Furphy is under contract for the next two seasons and is on a team-friendly deal making $2.2M this season and $2.4M the next. There is a team option on his 2027-28 contract, but I have zero doubt that it will be picked up.

The 6-foot-9 forward out of Kansas is still a developmental project but you can't say enough about his work ethic, the way he crashes the glass, his ability to defend multiple positions, his cutting, and his lineup flexibility.

As the team continues to navigate the financial challenges of the first and second aprons, having a player as skilled as Furphy on that cheap of a contract is a win-win for both the player and the team. Furphy will struggle to see playing time this season as he comes back from his ACL injury, but the sky is the limit for what he can become with this franchise.

2. Jarace Walker

Nobody in this group of players has as high of a ceiling as Jarace Walker. There is a reason he was drafted 8th overall and why the front office is challenging him "to be the OG Anunoby of this team".

He can shoot, pass, put the ball on the floor, rebound, and guard multiple positions, but he has to be more consistent in all of these areas. He will likely get the nod as the backup two or three next to Oubre in the second unit, but Sheppard will be pushing for those minutes.

Restricted free agency has become a tough spot for players under the new CBA so I can see a world where Indiana lands on a team-friendly extension with Walker. However, with how tight the Pacers will be with their salary cap situation, it's hard to envision Walker stick around long-term unless he takes a massive leap this summer.

His $8.4M contract might be the most tradable contract on the roster, but if he develops as a key role player at 22 years old for a team with title aspirations then he can find a spot on this team for many years to come.

3. Ben Sheppard

Mar 1, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) dribbles the ball while Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. (1) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sheppard is a soldier in the Pacers system and has proven the last two postseason runs that he is a reliable and trustworthy player. He needs to grow as an offensive weapon if he wants to supplant players ahead of him in the rotation, but not get too far out of his element.

Defensively, Sheppard is solid as a team defender but could take steps forward individually. Getting more physcial with his opponents would go a long way, as would crashing the glass to keep opponents from getting extra possessions.

His skill set won't wow anyone, but his consistency is the key driving force for why he's valuable to this team. Sheppard will make just over $5M this upcoming season and will likely make a similar amount per year on his next contract. That could be extremely beneficial to the Pacers from a salary standpoint, but Sheppard needs to show he's taking steps to improve if he wants a new multiyear deal with the franchise.

4. Braden Smith

Heading into the season I think Smith is the least talented of the seven players were discussing today. However, if you're projecting who is the most likely to be on the team in the next few years, it would be hard to not see Smith in Indiana.

The Purdue guard is still unsigned, but all indications are that Indiana will look to develop him through several reps in the G-League and learning from the great veteran point guards on this team in Haliburton, McConnell and Nembhard.

He is a depth piece guard who's ceiling is an everyday backup point guard. His size will always be an obstacle for him to overcome, but he is a great passer and floor general that will adjust to the speed and pace of the game.

It will take a few years of development before we see the best version of Smith, but as the Pacers enter this two-year title-contending window, the Purdue standout can hide in the shadows and learn from one of the best point guard rooms in the league.

5. Kobe Brown

What can Brown do for you? Well, Brown can continue to prove to the Pacers and their fans that his three-point shooting improvements weren't a flash in the pan. Brown really took off here with Indiana after having little to no real opportunity with the Clippers and that's why they brought him back.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, the Clippers elected to not pick-up his fourth-year option making him an unrestricted free agent. Shockingly, no team was willing to offer Brown a standard contract, so Indiana was able to swoop in and get him on a two-way deal.

Brown will likely be a minimum level player the rest of his career and that is something that can't be overlooked. His skill set proved to work with this team last year, and depending on how things play out this season will determine if Indiana should use a roster spot on him in the future.

After this season, Brown will no longer be eligible to sign a two-way contract. Hopefully he is able to showcase enough next season to get signed to a standard deal.

6. Jalen Slawson

Slawson was the focal point of the Pacers Summer League team and it earned him another chance with this team on a two-way deal.

The Furman Paladin is a terrific wing/forward that defends his tail off every night. Chad Buchanan labeled him the second-best chase-down shot blocker in the league, only behind LeBron James of course. Although this comment was a bit of a tongue-in-cheek moment, it was a reminder of how Slawson can impact a game defensively.

His offense is shaky but it has its high moments. He's never reached the league average as a three-point shooter, but he's taken strides in that area. In Summer League, he showcased how he's successfully improved at putting the ball on the floor as a scorer, albeit against lesser competition.

Fans would love to see the 'Slaw Dog' get a bigger role with the Pacers, but I do see a lot of overlap with him and Furphy. Unfortunately for Slawson, Furphy is stronger, younger, and better three-point shooter. He needs to become a more well-rounded player, but I can see a world where Indiana elects to bring him back on a minimum deal.

7. Ethan Thompson

Jan 17, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Ethan Thompson (55) dribbles in the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Thompson might be the most talented of all the players on two-way deals right now, but his future seems the most murky. He would clearly make life easier for Braden Smith in the G-League, but if Smith signs a two-way contract than Thompson is the most likely to go of the three guys who are currently signed.

He's a good three-point shooter who can put the ball on the floor. His defense has grown each season. He rebounds the ball well for his position and he can score in a variety of ways, not just from deep.

The depth at the shooting guard and small forward positions is deep with or without Thompson which makes it hard to see the Pacers choosing him over a point guard that was drafted 38th overall. If Thompson was to stay on a two-way deal for the Pacers this season, he could follow in the footsteps of his current and former travel basketball teammate Quenton Jackson.

ET performed mostly well in the minutes he played last season, but there likely is too much of a logjam at the two spot to see a long-term spot for him with the organization. He's a stronger asset to the Boom and Braden Smith this season than he is to the Pacers, but there is still value in that if Indiana elects to keep him around another season with no clearview of what's to come.

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

Add us as a preferred source on Google