Kobe Brown didn’t need much convincing to stay in Indiana.
After three seasons on a standard NBA contract, the former first-round pick signed a two-way deal with the Pacers this offseason, and Brown said the choice came down to more than just paperwork. “ Standard [contract] is always the goal,” Brown said.
“ But honestly… something in my gut just told me I needed to come back to Indy. And I really wanted to be here.
I loved it the last two months I was there.”
Brown’s comfort level made sense. In 27 games with Indiana, he carved out a real role, averaging 9.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 24.7 minutes per night while shooting .503/.433/.788. That was a sharp contrast to his first two-and-a-half seasons with the Clippers, where the former Missouri standout put up 2.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8.1 minutes across 114 appearances before being traded to Indiana in February.
“ Just coming from my last team to this team, a whole different world and play style. And just realizing how much I fit into the randomness, basically,” Brown said of the Pacers’ system and how it played a role in free agency. “ It’s fun to play, it’s fun to see, it’s fun to be a part of, and I’m just happy to still be here.”
Around the Eastern Conference, Miami is still hunting for a veteran shooter, and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald says Klay Thompson is a name the Heat are targeting. Thompson remains under contract with Dallas for $17.5MM in 2026/27, but Chiang reports Miami is interested because it wants a proven outside threat to help stretch the floor for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
The path to getting him, Chiang writes, may hinge on patience: the Heat appear willing to wait and see whether Thompson eventually reaches a buyout with the Mavericks. In that scenario, Chiang suggests Thompson might have to leave about $7MM on the table, though he could recoup that money from Miami, which could offer him a $7MM salary using part of its non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Felix Okpara’s draft-night landing also carried extra meaning. The former Tennessee big man, an NBA Africa alum from Nigeria, was selected 46th overall and ended up in Washington, a city Colin Udoh of ESPN.com noted is home to one of the largest Nigerian and African communities in the United States.
Okpara said the moment reflected the growth of the game across the continent. “ It says a lot,” said Okpara, who was selected 46th overall.
“ Basketball is growing really fast in Africa. We need more people investing in kids across the continent and giving them opportunities to show their talent and chase their dreams.
There are so many talented players in Africa that nobody knows about. I think we’re showing there’s still so much more talent waiting to be discovered.”
Detroit, meanwhile, didn’t land a headline-grabbing name in free agency or on the trade market, but it did make a serious push. Vincent Goodwill of ESPN said on NBA Today that Cade Cunningham was heavily involved in recruiting several stars to the Pistons, including Austin Reaves, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving. Goodwill also said Detroit’s biggest remaining offseason priorities are keeping restricted free agent center Jalen Duren and signing Ausar Thompson to a rookie scale extension.
In Other News...
Pacers Fans Know What Those Pinstripes Still Represent
The pinstripes are coming back for the 2026-27 season, and for Pacers fans that means more than a clean throwback look. Those uniforms are tied to the Reggie Miller era and the run to the 2000 Finals, a stretch that still sits near the center of the franchises identity and the way it measures its best teams.
Indiana has spent years trying to climb back into that kind of conversation, and the return of the pinstripes only sharpens the reminder of what the standard used to be. The jerseys carry plenty of nostalgia, but they also bring back the expectation that comes with them, because in Indianapolis those lines have always meant the Pacers were close enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers May Be Facing A Brutal Reality After Their Finals Run
After a Finals run that briefly made the Pacers feel like they had arrived ahead of schedule, the offseason has forced a more sobering conversation about where the team stands now. Indiana has tried to keep building around its core, including the addition of Ivica Zubac, but the bigger question is how much of last springs momentum can realistically carry over when the roster is trying to absorb a major change in its centerpiece.
The standard for this season is no longer about chasing a title right away, but about whether the Pacers can restore the sense that they belong in the leagues upper tier. A strong year would mean getting back to a top seed or pushing deep enough to make another conference finals run feel possible, even if the path back to championship contention is still a step beyond that. [Read more 🡒]