The Pacers decided not to extend the contracts of any of their players ahead of the regular season. With Monday being the final day before the NBA season begins, it was the last day the franchise could re-sign veterans on non-expiring contracts and rookie scale extensions.
Tuesday was the deadline for the franchise to extend eight of its players – Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Ivica Zubac, Obi Toppin, Jay Huff, Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard – but none reached deals. Walker and Sheppard, who are entering the final year of their rookie contracts, are the only two who hit free agency in 2027. The deadline for Walker and Sheppard was 6 p.m. Monday, and now both will be restricted free agents after the season.
Siakam, a four-time All-Star, is up for a three-year extension worth up to $207 million, but that won't come now. Siakam signed a four-year, $188.95 million extension with the team in July 2024 following a midseason trade from the Toronto Raptors to Indiana. Siakam has been an All-Star in both of his full seasons with the Pacers.
The 32-year-old now must wait until the summer of 2027, when he'll have just one year left on his current deal, to negotiate an extension with the team. The Pacers have kept quiet about whether they've had extension talks with anyone.
On Sept. 24, general manager Chad Buchanan said, "I’d just prefer not to talk about the business part out of respect to the guys and their agents, but we value all of our guys. They’re here for a reason; we like them. But I’d like to keep those confidential for now."
Following a franchise-worst 19-63 season, the Pacers have decided to push all their extension talks down the line. The front office appears to be waiting to see how the 2026-27 season unfolds before recommitting to many of its core players.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers don't sign extensions for Pascal Siakam and 7 others ahead of NBA deadline