Pacers GM Details the Talks That Kept Kobe Brown in Indiana

Indiana brought Kobe Brown back on a two-way contract on July 9, and Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan walked through those negotiations on the Setting The Pace podcast.

"We felt like this was a pretty good fit, our system, our coaches' trust in Kobe," Buchanan said. "As we looked at our roster spots, where we were at in the cap. We knew we were going to have some limitations on what we could probably offer at that position. We talked early on with Kobe's representatives about, 'Hey, we really would like to retain Kobe and have him back with us, but we don't know if we'll have the flexibility to make that a standard guaranteed spot. We'd love to have him on a two-way if that's an option on your end.' … I think Kobe felt comfortable in his time here with us and wanted to continue on that path. We're excited to have him back."

Buchanan said the Pacers were pleasantly surprised by what they saw from Brown at the end of last season.

Brown arrived from the Los Angeles Clippers in February as part of the Ivica Zubac trade. The Clippers received Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson in that deal, along with two first-round picks and a second-rounder.

He played 27 games for the Pacers with 10 starts, averaging 9.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 24.7 minutes. He shot 50.3% from the field, 43.3% from 3-point range, and 78.8% from the free throw line. In his 10 starts he averaged 10.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. Brown closed the regular season with 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals in a loss to Detroit. In his 34 games with the Clippers before the trade, Brown averaged 2.9 points off the bench.

The Clippers took Brown 30th overall in the 2023 draft out of Missouri. He spent two-and-a-half seasons in Los Angeles without a consistent role. Listed at 6-foot-7, he turns 27 this season.

Two-way contracts pay half the minimum salary for a player with no NBA service, which comes to just over $679,000 in 2026-27, and they do not count against the salary cap. Brown has three years of NBA service, making this his final season of two-way eligibility.

Indiana filled its three two-way slots with Brown, Jalen Slawson, and Ethan Thompson. No. 38 overall pick Braden Smith remains unsigned, and Buchanan said the front office is still working through the 15th roster spot and the two-way spots together. Smith spent four seasons at Purdue and holds the NCAA Division I career assists record.

The signing came during the same week Indiana waived Micah Potter and added Larry Nance Jr. on a one-year veteran's minimum deal. Indiana's use of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Kelly Oubre Jr. in free agency is what put the hard cap in place.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle gave Brown rotation minutes down the stretch of a season in which Indiana won 19 games. Tyrese Haliburton did not play.

Brown's two-way contract runs one season. He is eligible for 50 active-list days with the NBA club, and the balance of his time would be spent with the Noblesville Boom, Indiana's G League affiliate.