Kendall Brown, a forward, signs a three-year contract with the Indiana Pacers.
Kendall Brown, a forward, is joining the Indiana Pacers on a multi-year contract, two league sources told AllPacers. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the story first.
League sources claim that Brown’s contract has a three-year overall duration. The contract has a team option in the third season and is non-guaranteed for the last two. Brown’s pay this season will exceed his minimum.
To sign Brown to a three-year contract, the Pacers had to use some of the room exception, a salary cap exception they have held on to all season as a team that had cap room to open the league year. Because that exception was used, Brown’s deal could start at any amount from the minimum up to about $7.7 million. His minimum salary for the rest of the campaign is just under $450k.
Brown is in his second season with the Pacers. He was drafted 48th overall in the 2022 NBA draft, and he has been on a two-way deal for the last two years with Indiana. Injuries have limited his total appearances, but he has 12 NBA outings under his belt, including on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Regarding his players on two-way contracts, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle recently stated, “We try to get them as many games suited up because it’s just great experience even if they don’t play.”
Brown’s progress in the G League has been observable. In 33 games this season, the 20-year-old wing is averaging 16.6 points per game for the Indiana Mad Ants, including over 50% of his points from the field. His defense and athleticism have been useful.
There has been a clear progression in his career from the first to the second year. Simply putting in more effort on both ends. Reaching the hoops. Making plays for others,” Brown remarked on his progress this season towards the end of the previous year. “I’m just getting myself going and playing defense. Making a quick break and running away,” he continued.
The Baylor product is averaging 1.6 points and 0.7 rebounds per game in 12 NBA games. Since he will now be a permanent member of the Pacers, he may play more frequently.
Indiana gave up assets to get Brown in the 2022 draft, and they wanted to develop him for more than one season. “We still really feel good about Kendall Brown. He had a bad injury… but we really like him,” Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard said last year.
With the buyout market forming in full on Friday and the deadline for teams to sign players to two-way contracts coming on Monday, the timing of his deal makes a ton of sense. The Pacers had an open roster spot, and now Brown is eligible to play in postseason games if Indiana needs him. Two-way players aren’t playoff eligible. Additionally, the blue and gold can fill their now-open two-way slot ahead of tomorrow’s deadline.
