NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 24: Braden Smith is drafted 38th overall by the Chicago Bulls and traded to the Indiana Pacers in Round Two of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 24, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers selected former Purdue guard Braden Smith with the 38th pick in the NBA Draft on Wednesday, a selection Indiana acquired thanks to a draft-night trade with the Chicago Bulls.
Smith, who turns 23 later this month, spent four years in college, all with the Boilermakers. He holds the NCAA Men’s Division I record for career assists and averaged 14.3 points 8.8 assists per game in his most recent season. Smith’s passing and intangibles played a big part in getting drafted by Indiana.
Early second-round picks like Smith come with some contractual advantages for NBA teams. They can start at a low salary while signing a longer contract, a boon for the drafting franchise. Yet the Pacers, who have a total team salary that is rubbing right up against the projected luxury tax line for the coming season, currently plan to sign Smith to a two-way contract.
Players who sign two-way deals typically spend time going back and forth between their NBA team and G League affiliate – in the case of the Pacers, that’s the Noblesville Boom. Such contracts give players more chances to develop, but they are in turn limited to just 50 active games in a season while on a two-way deal.
