Preseason doesn’t mean much for the Pacers’ main group. Rick Carlisle already has most of his rotation mapped out, and these exhibition games are more about sorting out the edges than chasing wins.
That’s why this stretch matters so much for the players fighting to stick. Indiana will use preseason to test lineups, take a longer look at the back end of the roster and see who can earn more than just a cameo once the games count.
Ben Sheppard Smith has a chance to flip the script after a rough Summer League. He never consistently showed the point guard skills that made him one of college basketball’s best at Purdue, but there are reasons Indiana believes the story could change. Smith has added 16 pounds of muscle since the draft, and he’ll be working with NBA-level talent around him in a way he didn’t during Summer League.
His FanJam showing on Sunday afternoon looked a lot better than what he put on display over five summer games. He hit a clean stepback 3-pointer over Ivica Zubac, then jumped a Tyrese Haliburton pass intended for Andrew Nembhard and took it back for two points.
One scrimmage doesn’t rewrite anything, but after that Summer League stint, it was a welcome sign. If he carries that into preseason, it would help rebuild confidence in his development and show why the Pacers traded for him in the NBA Draft.
Jay Huff may have an even cleaner path to cash in on his opportunity. With Larry Nance Jr. out because of a mild hamstring injury, Huff has a better runway to show he should be Indiana’s permanent backup center.
He flashed last season with rim protection, floor spacing and energy off the bench. This year, the assignment changes.
Huff is no longer just trying to prove he belongs in the league; he’s trying to carve out a real rotation spot for Carlisle. Playing behind Zubac should give him steady minutes, and Nance’s absence opens the door even wider during preseason.
He’ll also be doing it with a mostly new group, so the chemistry piece matters too. The backup center job looks like his to lose, and a strong preseason would only strengthen that grip.
“Slaw Dog” is at another important turning point. Slawson earned a two-way contract last season after Quenton Jackson moved up to the 15-man roster, and this is his final year of two-way eligibility. The next step is plain: show he’s worthy of a standard NBA contract.
He had an Exhibit-10 deal with Indiana last year and saw some preseason minutes, but his real breakout came later with the Noblesville Boom. That’s where his versatility started to stand out, especially when he was used as a small-ball center.
Now he gets the chance to show that growth against NBA competition. His size, defensive flexibility and ability to affect the game in different ways make him an interesting developmental piece, and a productive preseason would help make the case that one of the G League’s better two-way wings deserves a permanent NBA home.
Quenton Brown is in a similar spot. When Indiana got him in the Zubac trade last season, he looked like a small part of a much larger deal. Once he started getting real minutes, though, he settled in as a solid role player.
The Pacers liked him enough to bring him back on a two-way contract this offseason, even without room on the standard roster. Brown taking that deal says plenty about how much he wants this chance.
He’ll get another opportunity in preseason to show he belongs. His improved 3-point shot, size, rebounding and defensive versatility all give him a path to an NBA role, but he still has to put it together consistently enough to convince Indiana - or someone else - that he deserves a standard contract down the road.
Like Slawson, he’s also in his final season of two-way eligibility, which gives every NBA minute a little extra weight.
Then there’s Oscar Mast, who may have the longest climb of anyone on the list. He’s on Indiana’s training camp roster on an Exhibit-10 contract after spending the summer with the Pacers’ Summer League team, and he comes in with very little pressure attached.
The Dutchman from Groningen, Netherlands, turned heads in Las Vegas because of how well he played. At 6-foot-9, Mast can stretch the floor from the perimeter and use his size and physicality on the glass.
His preseason role figures to resemble the kind of minutes Slawson and Gabe McGlothan got last year, meaning he probably won’t see much of the main rotation. But the back half of preseason games should give the staff another chance to judge how his game translates.
With Slawson and Brown both in their final years of two-way eligibility, Indiana will eventually need the next wave of developmental players, and Mast can start making that case now. The Pacers have promoted players during the season before, and they currently have an open standard roster spot that may or may not eventually be filled by James Johnson.
Mast doesn’t need to win anything in October. He just needs to do enough to stay in Indiana’s developmental pipeline.
Preseason won’t reveal where the Pacers finish this season, but it can still matter a lot to the players on the fringe. Smith wants to move past Summer League, Huff wants to lock down his place, Slawson and Brown are staring at career crossroads, and Mast is trying to become the next developmental success story in Indiana.
For the veterans, this is warm-up time. For these five, it’s something more.
In Other News...
Tyrese Haliburton Gives Pacers Fans One Huge Reason To Watch Tonight
The Pacers finally get a real look at their new starting group tonight when they open preseason against the Timberwolves, and there is plenty of curiosity baked into the matchup. For Indiana, this is the first chance to see the lineup tested against another team after camp work, with the game offering an early read on how the pieces fit as the season approaches. Minnesota brings its own intrigue after an active offseason, so this is not just a tune-up for the Pacers but a first glimpse at where they stand.
Tyrese Haliburtons return from injury is the biggest reason Indiana fans will be paying attention, since his presence changes the tone of the entire operation. His availability gives the Pacers a centerpiece to build around again, and tonight should offer a useful look at how he moves with the new starting five around him. There are still plenty of questions left to answer, but this game at least starts to sketch out what Indiana can be once the games begin to count. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Championship Hopes May Come Down To One Deadline Decision
Tyrese Haliburton is back for the 2026-2027 season, but the Pacers are not exactly rolling into the year with a freshly restocked cupboard. Indiana missed out on the kind of draft break that can quietly change a teams ceiling, and after losing Myles Turner in free agency, the front office had to patch the middle of the roster by bringing in Ivica Zubac through a trade. It leaves the Pacers in a familiar but uncomfortable spot: good enough to matter, not yet complete enough to feel settled.
What happens next may hinge less on opening night than on February. With the Eastern Conference getting tougher and Indianas current core still needing help around Haliburton, the organization is expected to keep its powder dry for the 2027 trade deadline, when the right move could determine whether this season becomes a step forward or just another year of waiting on the edge of contention. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Preseason Opener Will Reveal Something Bigger Than The Score
The first preseason game will give the Pacers their initial live look at how this group is coming together, but it will not settle the biggest questions hanging over camp. Tyrese Haliburtons Achilles recovery remains a storyline worth monitoring, and the arrival of new faces such as Kelly Oubre Jr. and Ivica Zubac adds another layer to watch as Indiana starts sorting out rotations and roles.
What matters most early on is less about the final score and more about whether the group looks connected. For a team trying to build momentum for the season ahead, chemistry and morale can matter just as much as any box score detail, and this opener should offer at least a first glimpse of how well the Pacers are building that foundation. [Read more 🡒]