Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) battles for a rebound with Indiana Pacers center Micah Potter (11) and forward Jalen Slawson (18) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers plan to exercise the team option in the contract of center Micah Potter and send a qualifying offer to two-way contract wing Jalen Slawson.
Those decisions were the final two that the Pacers had to make before free agency begins on June 30, and both decisions had to be made by the 29th. Now, Potter and Slawson will both be in the mix for Indiana during the offseason as they finalize their roster for the 2026-27 campaign.
Picking up Potter’s team option was an easy call for the Pacers. That’s mostly for contractual reasons – Potter’s agreement for 2026-27 is non-guaranteed, so even after picking up the option the Pacers could choose to waive him at any time before the season and avoid a salary cap hit. Now, the Pacers have more flexibility with their efficient big man in the offseason.
They have more options as it pertains to using some of Potter’s salary in trades, or waiving him before bringing him back on a different contract. There are many ways that Potter’s deal being completely non-guaranteed can help the franchise. But perhaps the most important factor for the big man going forward is that he played well after signing with the blue and gold. Potter was one of the best shooting bigs in the league last season and neared the infamous 50-40-90 cutoffs for efficiency, only coming up short at the foul line.
That alone should earn him a chance to stick with the team, and now he will have that chance after his option was picked up. “Jay [Huff] and Micah will fight for that backup five (role),” Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard said after the NBA Draft Lottery back in May.
That Potter will have a chance to earn a rotation spot is noteworthy. But he will have to perform and keep proving himself to earn it. That’s just the nature of non-guaranteed deals.
And the Potter-Huff battle could be for more than a rotation spot. It might be for a spot on the team at all. Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan was asked about his roster’s free agency needs last week and noted that center could be a position they look at.
“We’ll see where we are at with the center spot,” he said.
Potter played well, and picking up his option comes with no downsides. That’s why the Pacers did it. But he will now have to earn his contract for the coming season, and he will similarly have to fight for a role. He averaged 9.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in 2025-26 and is slated to make just over $2.8 million in the coming season.
Why did the Pacers give Jalen Slawson a qualifying offer?
Slawson, meanwhile, joined the Pacers late in the most recent campaign on a two-way contract. He was only eligible to play in 13 games but was productive down the stretch.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – MARCH 15: Jalen Slawson #18 of the Indiana Pacers in action against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum on March 15, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Getty Images
He spent most of the season in the G League with the Pacers affiliate team, the Noblesville Boom. There, he was named to the G League All-Defensive Team and averaged 19.3 points per game in 37 appearances.
That’s how he earned his Pacers callup, and he made the most of it. “I think he’s an NBA player,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said when the team originally signed Slawson. “He’s had a good year with the Boom and this will be a great opportunity for him to play some games.”
In the NBA, the two-year pro averaged 7.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. The Furman product attributed his increase in productivity to his fit within the Pacers system, and his activity stood out during his time with the blue and gold.
His two-way contract is set to expire tomorrow, but he will become a restricted free agent thanks to his qualifying offer. That will give the Pacers the right of first refusal, meaning they can match any contract Slawson signs with another team and still retain him in free agency if they are so inclined.
The qualifying offer for Slawson, in this case, is a one-year, two-way contract with a very small amount of salary guaranteed. In theory, Slawson could sign that deal at any time. But the Pacers will be juggling two-way agreements for Braden Smith, Ethan Thompson, and Taelon Peter this offseason on top of Slawson’s offer sheet, and two-way deals can be waived at any time with little to no penalty. So in reality, Slawson’s qualifying offer gives the Pacers more time to evaluate him and their two-way contract outlook. It doesn’t guarantee he will be back with the team, but it gives him a chance after contributing in multiple ways during his 311 minutes.
The Pacers have now made all of their offseason decisions and have the full picture of their position heading into free agency. Currently, they have 13 players under contract and are about $2.4 million below the NBA”s latest luxury tax projection.