Pacers GM Points to Kemba Walker as Model for Braden Smith's Development

Indiana Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan pointed to Kemba Walker, whom he worked with in Charlotte, as the model for how Braden Smith can learn to finish at the rim at his size. Buchanan said Thursday that the rookie point guard faces that adjustment first.

From 2015 to 2017, while Walker was still playing for the Charlotte Hornets, Buchanan worked in their front office as an assistant general manager. Indiana hired him in 2017. He and Ted Wu, the Pacers' assistant general manager, took questions for close to half an hour Thursday at the Pacers Foundation golf outing. Training camp opens Tuesday.

At the draft combine, Smith measured 5-foot-10¼ and weighed in at 166 pounds. The Chicago Bulls took him 38th overall in June, then sent his rights to Indiana, and his two-way contract was not signed until Aug. 17.

Buchanan said the rookie will not be playing 40 minutes a night the way he did at Purdue, and that defense will require more energy from him.

"As a rookie, especially a point guard, it's the hardest position to learn and adapt to," Buchanan said. "So he comes to us with a great feel for the game. He's very similar to Ty, and he wants to make others around him better. We've seen in these pickup games this summer, he does a great job of getting his team a good shot when he's on an offensive possession."

"He's got to learn to adapt to finishing around the basket at his size," Buchanan continued. "It's just by nature he wants to pass the ball, and we're gonna need to develop some scoring skills from him [at] our level. His size, he's got to learn to adapt to."

"I was with the Hornets before I came to the Pacers, and I saw Kemba Walker, similar size, how he had to learn to adapt to finish around the basket," Buchanan added. "And it took him some time, but by the prime of his career, he's a very crafty finisher. So I think that's part of Braden's game that we'll wanna see develop."

"His shooting is gonna have to continue to grow and be consistent," Buchanan noted. "Adapting to the NBA 3-point line's a challenge for some guys. And then defensively, he's gotta learn, 'Hey, you're not gonna be playing 40 minutes a night like you were [at] Purdue. We need you to really put some energy into [guarding],' and he's got the ability to do it. I'm really anxious to see his growth and his development. He's a very determined, serious-minded player, and I'm really excited to see his growth this year for us."

As a senior, Smith averaged 34.5 minutes across 39 games. He put up 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 8.8 assists with 1.7 steals, shooting 44.0% from the field, 36.2% from 3-point range, and 82.5% at the line.

He finished his college career with 1,103 assists, the most in NCAA Division I history. Bobby Hurley of Duke had held the record since 1993. Smith led the country with 345 assists as a senior.

Smith was a consensus first-team All-American in 2025 and 2026, the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2025, and the Big Ten Tournament MVP in 2026. He is the only player in NCAA history with at least 1,500 points, 1,000 assists, and 500 rebounds. He won Indiana Mr. Basketball at Westfield High School in 2022. He arrived at Purdue as the No. 216 recruit in his class. He is the first Purdue point guard drafted since Everette Stephens in 1988.

In five Summer League games in Las Vegas, he averaged 6.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 7.0 assists. He made 29.4% of his 3-pointers, and his 35 assists tied for second among all players in Las Vegas.

At the Pacers' charity softball game in August, Smith said he was working on a consistent jump shot and adding weight. Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell have been fielding his questions.

He will split time between Indiana and the Noblesville Boom, the Pacers' G League affiliate. Smith, Kobe Brown, and Jalen Slawson hold the team's three two-way spots. The Pacers' projected depth chart at point guard runs Haliburton, McConnell, and Quenton Jackson.

The Pacers hold media day Monday.