Forward Kendall Brown signs two-way deal to stay with Pacers
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Pacers formally signed forward Kendall Brown to a two-way contract Tuesday, They still have time to make moves before the season starts in October, but, for now, all 15 of their full-time contracts and all three of their two-way contracts are filled.
The 6-8, 205-pound Brown was taken out of Baylor in the second round of the 2022 draft with the No. 48 pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves and acquired by the Pacers in a draft-day deal. He spent last season on a two-way contract and played six games with the Pacers, totaling nine points, six rebounds, three assists and four steals in just over 40 minutes of combined action. He played a combined 16 games with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants between regular season play and the Showcase Cup, averaging 10.2 points per game.
The Pacers made a qualifying offer to Brown in late June and he became a restricted free agent July 1. Teams had the opportunity to offer him a contract, including one that would have kept him on a 15-man roster full-time, but the Pacers would have had a right to match that.
Brown missed most of the season with a stress fracture in his right tibia and had to have surgery in late February which ended his season. He said earlier this month that he is healthy and he had a strong performance with the Pacers in NBA Summer League, averaging 8.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.6 blocks in five games.
More: 'You forget how it feels to be healthy': Pacers Kendall Brown is back on the court
Former Kentucky All-American Oscar Tshiebwe and Isaiah Wong, last year's ACC Player of the Year at Miami, have the other two two-way contracts. Wong was the No. 55 pick in the 2023 draft and Tshiebwe was signed as an undrafted free agent. Guard Mojave King, selected by the Pacers with the 47th pick, will play overseas next season to make room on the roster.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers: Forward Kendall Brown stays with Indiana on two-way deal
