LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 13: Jalen Slawson #18 of the Indiana Pacers attacks the basket against Nate Bittle #12 of the Toronto Raptors during the second half of a 2026 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 13, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS – The Indiana Pacers two-way contract plans were murky entering summer league, but one thing was clear: Jalen Slawson had something to prove.
The 26-year old forward received a qualifying offer from Indiana just before free agency opened, meaning he was a restricted free agent. That also meant he was in the mix for a two-way deal with the Pacers, a competitive situation. Braden Smith, Kobe Brown, Taelon Peter, and Ethan Thompson were all also in the team’s two-way orbit.
“I don’t think we look at it as competition. [Thompson], [Peter], [Smith], we’re all really close. We understand that it’s a business, and we know that the front office here has to make decisions just like everywhere else,” Slawson said ahead of Pacers summer league mini camp. “Obviously, everybody's hungry and everybody wants this spot. But I don't think if you look at it as a competition like that, that it can always be healthy.”
