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Indiana Pacers guard Braden Smith dribbles upcourt against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half of an NBA Summer League basketball game Friday, July 10, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo\/Ian Maule)<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n
LAS VEGAS \u2013 Braden Smith officially signed his two-way contract<\/a> with the Indiana Pacers earlier this month. That was the original plan<\/a> for the 38th overall pick in the most recent NBA Draft, but the Pacers had to figure out some other transactions<\/a> first.<\/p>\n There was a lot of waiting involved. Smith and the Pacers wrapped up summer league play on July 18, meaning Smith stood by for one day shy of a full month before inking his first NBA contract. The Pacers financial reality was to blame. So the first-year guard had to wait around and trust that his new team would figure out a way to get him in the door.<\/p>\n \u201cThrough the whole process, I knew it was going to end up like what they already said, so I already had that idea,\u201d Smith said of his trust in the Pacers during the patient days. \u201cPlus, it\u2019s a contract, and it doesn\u2019t really need to be signed until what, November-ish? So for me, I was just like, stay with it, get in [the gym], get better. That\u2019s the main focus.\u201d<\/p>\n The Pacers traded away two second-round pick swaps and young guard Kam Jones to acquire the draft pick that they later used on Smith. They were one of a few teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks, that had interest in selecting the Purdue product, but none of the three teams had a good enough draft pick to get him. They needed to make a trade.<\/p>\n Indiana got it done, agreeing to terms with the Chicago Bulls on draft night before selecting Smith. The Indiana native and Purdue standout is the all-time NCAA assist leader.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s awesome,\u201d Smith said of officially signing with the Pacers. \u201cBeing from here and watching them my entire life growing up, and also being a fan of everybody and now being a part of it and getting to experience that, it\u2019s an awesome opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n By inking a two-way deal, Smith will split his time between the Pacers and their G League affiliate, the Noblesville Boom. Noblesville is, as Smith described it, literally his backyard after growing up in Westfield, Indiana. It\u2019s his dream to be able to play close to home, and he was looking forward to doing so on whatever contract he ended up signing.<\/p>\n What is next for Braden Smith after signing his Pacers contract?<\/p>\n While Smith is eager to get on the court now that his contract is signed, he knows that his performance must be better. During summer league, Smith struggled and knocked down just 26.5% of his shot attempts. His passing was sharp, but he didn\u2019t impact the game with any play finishing or defense.<\/p>\n \u201c[I\u2019ve] got to be better,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI think I\u2019m my hardest critic about it, so I think being able to digest it, understand it, see what went wrong, see what went well, what I can learn, those types of things. And I had a lot of good feedback.\u201d<\/p>\n LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 14: Braden Smith #3 of the Indiana Pacers poses for a portrait during the 2026 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at UNLV on July 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Carmen Mandato\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Getty Images<\/p>\n