Sources: Indiana Pacers to sign Oscar Tshiebwe to two-way contract
The Indiana Pacers plan to sign undrafted University of Kentucky forward/center Oscar Tshiebwe to a two-way contract, multiple sources told AllPacers. Shams Charania of The Athletic was the first to report the transaction.
According to those same sources, it's a one year agreement. It cannot be signed until July 1 when the new league year begins.
Tshiebwe was a four-year college player. He spent his first two years at West Virginia before transferring to play for John Calipari at Kentucky. In his final season with the Wildcats, Tshiebwe averaged 16.5 points and 13.7 rebounds per game.
That rebounding number is where most of the appeal comes in for the big man. He is one of the best rebounders in this draft class, if not the best, and he pulled in 15.1 boards per game as a junior. He is hard to stop on the glass.
That was evident at the NBA Draft Combine as well, where the Democratic Republic of the Congo native was pulling in misses left and right. His size stood out as well.
As a player with one dominant skill, a two-way deal is perfect. The 23-year old can use his strengths to dominate in his G League opportunities while working on his other skills, but if he is needed at the NBA level, he has a trait that can help him contribute. He could be valuable for the blue and gold.
The NBA's new Collective Bargaining Agreement permits all teams to have three two-way contracts, so Indiana can bring in two other players on such contracts. Two-way agreements allow players to split time between their NBA team and its G League affiliate — in the Pacers case, that's the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Tshiebwe was not selected in the NBA Draft on Thursday night. The Pacers made four picks, including two in the second round in Mojave King and Isaiah Wong. Those two players could be candidates for two-way agreements as well.
The Pacers ranked 28th in rebound rate this past season, so bringing in Tshiebwe could help them improve in that area. But he will have to crack a currently-crowded frontcourt rotation to find his way onto the court. This is a solid agreement for both sides that could be a win-win.
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