The Indiana Pacers made numerous moves ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline as they embarked on essentially the first rebuild in franchise history. They parted ways with veterans Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert and Torrey Craig, receiving in return a combination of young building blocks and draft capital.
The Craig deal is one that didn’t garner as much attention as the other two but has proven to be fruitful. In that deal, they received Jalen Smith and a 2022 second-round pick. At the time, the draft capital is what people focused on as Smith hadn’t received much of a chance with the Suns after being selected No. 10 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Phoenix saw so little in Smith that they actually declined his third-year option in his rookie contract. Knowing he was auditioning for his next contract, Smith played very well in 22 games with the Pacers.
It was by far the most comfortable that he has looked in his professional career, as he averaged 13.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and one block in 24.7 minutes per game. He showed confidence in his jump shot, making 37.3 percent of his 3-point attempts, showcasing the two-way potential that led to him being a lottery pick.
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There was some worry that Smith would depart Indiana this offseason as a free agent as the team was limited in what they could offer him on a new contract. Because his third-year option was declined, the most the Pacers could offer was $10.6 million over two years.
Many believed that was below his market value, but he surprised everyone and re-signed with Indiana. In addition to the new contract, Smith also locked down a spot in the Indiana Pacers’ starting lineup next season.
Being guaranteed a starting spot could have been what persuaded Smith to re-sign with the Pacers despite the money being less than what people projected him to sign for. He will have a prominent role in the rotation and it could increase even more depending on what happens with Myles Turner this offseason.
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Smith will now be part of the team’s young core along with Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, Isaiah Jackson, Bennedict Mathurin, Oshae Brissett and Aaron Nesmith. That could grow even more if they find trade partners for Turner and Buddy Hield.
