Pacers May Have Sleeper Breakout Candidate on the Roster

With the NBA offseason slowing down in a big way as the league awaits LeBron James' decision, the Indiana Pacers have had a relatively quiet period.

So far this offseason, the Pacers have made two impact moves. They have signed veteran wing Kelly Oubre Jr. to a two-year deal worth around $17 million. In addition, the team signed veteran big man Larry Nance Jr. to a one-year contract.

Outside of those two moves, the big addition for Indiana in the 2026-27 season will be Ivica Zubac. He was acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in a blockbuster trade ahead of the trade deadline last year.

However, there is another player who has started turning heads for the Pacers.

Jalen Slawson, who is currently on a two-way contract with Indiana, has put together a strong showing during the NBA Summer League. He is making a case to not just be a two-way player, but potentially earning a legitimate role for the Pacers.

Throughout Summer League thus far, Slawson has averaged 20.5 points per game to go along with seven rebounds, 2.5 assists, and three blocks. He has shot 42.9 percent from the floor as well.

Last season with Indiana, Slawson ended up becoming a key role player down the stretch of the year. He played in 13 games and made six starts for the Pacers, averaging 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. He shot 44.2 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three-point range.

At just 26 years old, Slawson could work his way into being a long-term piece of the puzzle for Indiana. His ability to both score the basketball and defend at a high level makes him a valuable role player to have.

Granted, there is no guarantee that Slawson even makes the team. The Pacers have quite a few players fighting for the two-way contracts, including rookie point guard Braden Smith and young wing Kobe Brown.

According to NBA rules, teams can have three players on two-way contracts. At this point in time, it seems very likely that Indiana will keep Slawson, Smith, and Brown on those deals. However, the Pacers do have other players like Taelon Peter and Ethan Thompson on two-way deals.

Only time will tell, but Slawson's play at Summer League has been promising. After looking good with the team last season, it would not be shocking to see him earn a spot on the roster.