An Indiana Pacers assistant coach didn’t hide his enthusiasm when the conversation turned to Braden Smith.
Speaking anonymously to Keith Smith of Spotrac during Summer League in Las Vegas, the assistant called the former Purdue star “the best young passer I’ve ever seen.” That kind of praise lands differently when it comes from inside the building, especially for a guard who just arrived on a two-way contract and already has people talking about a possible NBA rotation role.
“Jalen Slawson is better than a two-way player. I'm hopeful we'll have him back next season,” the assistant coach said.
“Braden (Smith) is tough. He's the best young passer I've ever seen.
Every time, the ball is exactly where it needs to be. He rebounds and competes on defense despite being small too.
He'll really help keep our G League team organized, but he could be the next rotation guard we develop too.”
Smith, the No. 38 pick in the 2026 draft, was selected by Chicago and then traded to Indiana. He agreed to a two-way contract on draft night, and he already brings a résumé that explains why the Pacers are intrigued. The Westfield native, who grew up about 20 miles north of downtown Indianapolis, left Purdue as the NCAA’s all-time assists leader.
He passed Bobby Hurley’s mark of 1,076 in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament and finished his college career with 1,103 assists. Smith started all 149 games he played and set the Purdue record for minutes at 5,067.
His senior season was another showcase of his control and production. Smith averaged 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 8.8 assists in 39 games, while shooting 44.0% from the field, 36.2% from 3-point range and 82.5% from the line.
He was named Big Ten Player of the Year and won the Bob Cousy Award in 2025. Earlier in his Purdue career, he piled up 292 assists as a sophomore and 313 as a junior, helping the Boilermakers reach the 2024 national championship game.
Smith gave Indiana a glimpse of that playmaking in Las Vegas. He scored 16 points in one game and finished the summer with 5 points, 3 rebounds and 9 assists in the Pacers’ finale.
Indiana went 2-3 in Summer League, and the roster churn around the two-way spots kept moving. Slawson re-signed with the Pacers on a two-way deal after Summer League ended.
The team first signed him to that contract on Feb. 28, the same day it converted Quenton Jackson to a standard NBA deal. Before free agency opened, Indiana gave Slawson a qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent.
Slawson, 26, is a 6-foot-7 forward who put together a strong five-game run in Vegas, averaging 20.8 points, nearly 7 rebounds and 3.2 blocks. He scored 26 points against Philadelphia and then closed his final game with 22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 blocks.
Last season, he made 85% of his shots from within 3 feet. Among Pacers who played last season, only Mac McClung averaged more steals than Slawson’s 1.5 per game, and Slawson added 1.1 blocks.
Indiana also added Kobe Brown, who came over in the Ivica Zubac trade, on a two-way deal the day before Summer League began. The Pacers waived Taelon Peter, and Ethan Thompson remains on a two-way contract.
A two-way player can spend up to 50 games with the NBA club and earns roughly $700,000, with that salary not counting against the cap.
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