Deadline Passes With No Contract Extensions For Indiana Pacers Players

INDIANAPOLIS – Monday, NBA teams faced two deadlines related to contract extensions. 6 p.m. ET was the last minute that teams could sign players in the final year of their rookie-scale contracts to a contract extension while 11:59 p.m. ET was the cutoff for players who have multiple years remaining on their deals to be extended – if eligible, of course.

Those deadlines created action around the league with the likes of Cason Wallace (Oklahoma City Thunder), Oso Ighodaro (Phoenix Suns), Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota Timberwolves), and Brandon Miller (Charlotte Hornets) adding years, and money, to their contracts on Monday. Wallace and Miller inked rookie-scale extensions while Ighodaro and McDaniels signed veteran extensions.

The Indiana Pacers were a team worth keeping an eye on with those time limits in mind. They have two players, Ben Sheppard and Jarace Walker, currently in the final year of their rookie-scale deals. They were both eligible for five-year extensions. The Pacers also had several veterans with multiple years remaining on their contract who were extension eligible until midnight on Monday – that list included Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton, Obi Toppin, T.J. McConnell, Ivica Zubac, and Andrew Nembhard.

With over half of their roster extension eligible, the Pacers had a lot to consider. General manager Chad Buchanan didn’t offer insight into the team’s thinking when asked about possible contract extensions last month.

“We do have a lot of guys that are in that boat. We’ll keep that to ourselves on that one,” he said.

Last year, the Pacers agreed to terms on a new deal with wing Aaron Nesmith about two hours before the deadline to do so. They have been proactive with contract extensions when applicable.

This offseason came with a different result. None of the eight extension-eligible Pacers players who were facing a deadline on Monday agreed to terms on an extension. They will all go through the 2026-27 season without any changes being possible for their contracts.

For Walker and Sheppard, that means free agency is coming in 2027. They could be restricted free agents if they are sent a qualifying offer next summer, but it’s too early to determine their specific free agency status – both players will be looking for a new contract if they are restricted or unrestricted.

Siakam, Toppin, Nembhard, and Zubac will now all enter the 2027 offseason with just one year remaining on their deals. They will all be extension eligible again next summer and will remain eligible for one throughout the 2027-28 season.

“They (his agents) do that for me. I focus on basketball... I’m not really worried about that,” Siakam said earlier this month when asked about a possible extension.

McConnell and Haliburton will both still have two years left on their agreements in 2027. They both have different considerations at play – Haliburton would become eligible for a supermax contract if he makes an All-NBA team or wins either MVP or Defensive Player of the Year in the next three seasons. McConnell’s contract is only partially guaranteed in 2027-28 and has a team option covering the 2028-29 campaign.

Did any extensions make sense for the Pacers on Monday?

The Pacers are over the luxury tax line for the ongoing season and approaching the first apron. While Sheppard and Walker are on expiring contracts, Nesmith gets a big raise next season while many players will see a smaller bump in salary. Indiana is a good team and, naturally, expensive.

That makes contract extensions, especially ones that come while a player has multiple seasons left on their current deal, less likely by default. The Pacers need to be certain with their spending going forward as they look to keep contending during Haliburton’s prime. Every contract is important in the apron-era of the NBA.

While contract extensions can make sense for any number of reasons, the general uncertainty for Indiana entering the coming campaign adds to the risk that comes with longer deals. While the team had a strong, confidence-building preseason, they still need to see Haliburton get through the schedule after a torn Achilles caused him to miss all of last season. Zubac is adjusting to the team’s system. Newcomers Kelly Oubre and Larry Nance have to prove they can help the team once they are on their opponent’s scouting reports with more detail.

Is the Pacers depth good enough? Will they need more at any specific position? That those are questions at all makes having flexibility valuable, and the Pacers kept themselves nimble by not extending any contracts on Monday.

Siakam, Zubac, and Nembhard stood out as candidates for a longer deal. But ultimately, the Pacers agreed to no new deals ahead of the 2026-27 season. In theory, Jay Huff (in just over one week) and Johnny Furphy could get a contract extension mid-season if their team options for 2027-28 are declined. But that feels exceedingly unlikely for both players at this moment. It’s time for basketball to be the Pacers’ focus.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com