Jalen Smith – Indiana Pacers
At the beginning of the year, Jalen Smith’s career looked like it was going to end before it even had a chance to begin. The 2020 first-round pick of the Phoenix Suns had his 2-year team option declined by the team before the start of this season, which was definitely surprising to see given that most teams wait until the third-year of a rookie contract to make a decision on a player’s future.
Set to become a free agent at the conclusion of the season before the year even began, Jalen Smith quickly became a player on the trade block with nobody showing interest. That is until Deandre Ayton went down with a lower leg injury and Frank Kaminsky also suffered an injury for the Suns early on in the season.
With just Jalen Smith and JaVale McGee as their options at center, the Suns had no choice but to give Smith minutes and he delivered for them. He was only averaging 6.0 points and 4.8 rebounds for the Suns, but Smith had shown his potential of being an avid rebounder, which is why the Indiana Pacers made a move to trade for him at the trade deadline.
Landing Jalen Smith and a second-round pick from Phoenix for Torrey Craig, the Pacers immediately began to utilize Jalen Smith in their frontcourt and he has really given their bench a boost.
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In 13 total games with the Pacers, 3 of which he started in, Jalen Smith has averaged 12.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and has shot 54.4% from the floor while also recording five double-doubles.
With a big 6’10” frame and a 7’2” wingspan, Jalen Smith plays a lot bigger than he looks and has proven to be a factor on both ends of the court in terms of rebounding.
Several years back, Tristan Thompson made a name for himself in the playoffs with the Cavaliers for being an elite-level rebounder and a tough interior presence, resulting in him receiving a big contract.
Jalen Smith likely will not see a massive contract, but his play has definitely earned him a chance to see the value of a three-year deal worth upwards of $25 million to $30 million.
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Due to his team options on the back-end of his current contract being declined by Phoenix, the most Indiana could offer Smith to return on a multi-year deal is what his salary would have been worth for next season, which is $4.7 million. While it may seem a little unfair, Indiana is the only team in the league that cannot exceed $4.7 million when negotiating a new contract with Jalen Smith in free agency as a result of his options being declined.
With the 2022 free agency class expected to be underwhelming and the lack of interior presences available, Jalen Smith could very well earn himself some good money with another team.
