Braden Smith Reveals What He Must Improve After Landing Pacers Two-Way Deal

Braden Smith and Jay Huff were the first two players from the blue roster onto the field at Victory Field on Monday night, a week after the Indiana Pacers made his two-way contract official. Smith answered questions before first pitch, in an availability reported by Tyler Smith of Indiana Pacers On SI.

The Pacers announced the signing Aug. 17, nearly two months after the draft. Chicago took Smith 38th overall on June 24 and traded his rights to Indiana that night. Kam Jones went the other way, along with two second-round pick swaps and cash considerations.

Indiana was hard-capped at the first apron, general manager Chad Buchanan said in July on the Setting The Pace podcast. The 15th roster spot was open then.

Smith said he knew from what the Pacers had already told him how the contract would land, and that the paperwork did not have to be done until November.

"Being in Noblesville is going to be awesome," Smith said. "I'm super excited. Whether that's there or downtown playing with the Pacers, it's an awesome opportunity. There's nothing else you want more than to be here. If that's a two-way, if that's a standard, whatever the case is, it's what I'm most excited about."

Indiana waived Taelon Peter and Ethan Thompson to clear the last of its three two-way slots. Smith holds one, along with Jalen Slawson and Kobe Brown. Two-way players earn half the minimum salary for a player with no NBA service, which comes to a figure just above $679,000 this season. The Noblesville Boom, Indiana's G League affiliate, play at The Arena at Innovation Mile.

A Westfield native, Smith won Indiana Mr. Basketball in 2022 and stayed in state for four years at Purdue. He started all 149 games he played there. He left with 1,103 assists, the NCAA Division I record, and he is the only player in NCAA history with 1,500 points, 1,000 assists, and 500 rebounds.

Smith started five games in Las Vegas in July and averaged 7.0 assists, fourth in Summer League. He shot 27.3% from the field.

Learning the defense is what Smith expects will keep him on the court.

"I've got to be better," Smith said. "I'm my hardest critic about it. Being able to digest it, understand it, see what went wrong, what went well, I had a lot of good feedback from the guys and the coaching staff. And I think I've come a long way so far. So for me, it's just applying that and then doing it with those guys in practice."

The opener against Cleveland brought 5 points on 1-of-8 shooting, with 8 rebounds and 4 turnovers. Against Philadelphia he scored 16 points on 3-of-6 shooting in a 100-93 overtime loss. Twenty-six of his assists came over the last three games. The Pacers went 2-3.

Guarding Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard every day is the part Smith expects to move him.

"Gaining weight. Gaining muscle. Working on a consistent jump shot. And just playing hard defense," Smith explained. "My passing ability, I think, is one of the best. I'm able to get guys shots. So defensively, just learning the techniques. So I've been with TJ and Ty just asking questions. In college, it's different. In the NBA, you can be more physical. That's what I learned in the summer league. I was letting guys come off screens too easily. It's just a lot of little things like that, that I've picked up and asked questions about."

Haliburton, T.J. McConnell, Nembhard, and Quenton Jackson are all ahead of Smith on the depth chart. McConnell is 34. Smith named him and Jalen Brunson as the small guards whose impact he is after.

The tendon tore in the first quarter of Game 7 of the NBA Finals against Oklahoma City on June 22, 2025. Haliburton has not played since. Indiana lost 63 games without him, more than in any season in franchise history.

Smith averaged 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 8.8 assists over 39 starts as a senior at Purdue. He shot 44.0% from the field and 36.2% from 3-point range. The Big Ten named him its tournament MVP, and he was a consensus first-team All-American for the second straight year.

The shots will fall, in Smith's view.

"Working on my legs and my follow through," Smith said. "I'm chipping away at it. That's something people don't realize. Working on your jumper, it's an everyday thing, all your career. It's something you've got to work at. I'm a 45% shooter for a lot of my life except for senior year and in the summer. For me, keep going and keep working at it."

Monday's game was the first Pacers Foundation Charity Softball Classic. Haliburton and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones captained the two rosters. Proceeds went to Drive & Dish, the food-insecurity program Pacers coach Rick Carlisle started. Aaron Nesmith, Nembhard, McConnell, and Obi Toppin also played.

Indiana opens the regular season Oct. 21 at New Orleans. The home opener against Dallas follows Oct. 23. G League training camps open Oct. 26, and the Tip-Off Tournament begins Nov. 6.