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.”
Summer league thus became a big opportunity for that group, and particularly Slawson. He signed a one-year two-way deal with the Pacers in February, then produced down the stretch and averaged 7.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game across 13 appearances.
He also averaged over one steal and block per game as well as multiple assists. The Furman product made the most of his chances after being called up from the G League and thus earned another look this summer.
Slawson felt more confident entering the offseason than he did in 2025. His ability to make quicker reads, a must in the Pacers system, had improved. He snapped into open lanes with better drives and was growing in comfort as a catch-and-shoot weapon.
“I’m understanding spacing better,” Slawson said. “My conditioning is better, and my overall understanding of the game.” He spent time working with, and guarding, Tyrese Haliburton to learn more about the point guard’s brain. That helped him learn faster.
Slawson is already a good athlete, so the added cognitive ability went a long way. He was hoping to show it in summer league, especially with a contract potentially on the line.
What did Jalen Slawson show during summer league for the Pacers?
Slawon’s first impression was polarizing in that his shots weren’t falling, but every other aspect of the game went well. In a win over the summer Cavaliers, the two-year pro went 4/15 from the field. But he had six rebounds, five assists, one steal, and five blocks. The latter three stats were all Slawson’s best mark in any summer league game.
Then came the scoring in game two. He had 26 points to go along with five rebounds, plus strong defensive moments once again. The Pacers nearly pulled off a 20-plus point comeback but fell in overtime against the 76ers.
Slawson, however, was tremendous. “He’s a great stampede, or catch-and-go, driver. Once he gets downhill, he’s really explosive off of his left foot. So we try to put him in situations where he can do that,” Pacers summer league head coach Bryce Taylor said of Slawson after that game. The forward knocked down seven two-point shots and six free throws in the outing. “He’s continued to improve his ball handling. He’s a good passer. He has an electric type of energy that he plays with.”
Postgame, Slawson noted that his athleticism and physical frame made drives a natural emphasis for his offseason improvements. He can finish well at the rim – he made 85% of his shots from 0-3 feet last season – but he’s got to get there more often. His handle and timing were a focus.
“Being able to impose my will, get to the paint,” Slawson said of his development. He already feels the success of his refinements and hit the weight room to improve his balance. All of that work has made him a noticeably better player.
That outing against Philadelphia was the first 20-plus point game for Slawson in Las Vegas, but it wasn’t his last. He actually reached at least 20 points in every game for the rest of summer league, finishing the five-game program with an average of 20.8 points per game. After struggling with his three-point shot in the first three outings, Slawson went 5/13 from deep in the final two games.
He put a lot together in the summer sessions and finished 13th in points per game among Las Vegas participants. Slawson’s rim protection was more impressive comparatively – he ended the summer with 3.2 blocks per game, the fourth-most of any player. In terms of a raw total, he blocked more shots than any other player despite playing on the perimeter.
“Slaw has really embraced the process,” former Pacers assistant coach Johnny Carpenter said earlier in the offseason. Carpenter noted that Slawson has been in the gym often and had worked on his decision making while also taking strides as a rangy defender.
The upgrades to Slawson’s game are obvious just from the eye test. The numbers show it well too. Last July, he averaged 2.5 points per game while playing summer league for the Philadelphia 76ers. This year, he was the Pacers best player and finished with averages of 20.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 3.2 blocks per game.
That’s not someone the Pacers could let get away. Slawson is a restricted free agent thanks to his qualifying offer, and Indiana will be keeping him around. They plan to sign the 2023 second-round draft pick to a two-way contract for the 2026-27 season, bringing him back after a few productive months.
After Kobe Brown inked a two-way deal with the Pacers earlier this month, the team had to release one of their other two-way contract players to open a slot for Slawson. That happened yesterday as the Pacers waived Taelon Peter, a late draft pick from 2025. While Peter is younger and a more recent entrant into the NBA, Slawson outplayed him in summer league and earned his spot with the Pacers.
Once Slawson officially signs, the Pacers two-way contract players will be Slawson, Brown, and Thompson – the latter of the three signed a two-year, two-way contract last November. Indiana now has the maximum of three players signed to two-way agreements and must decide what they want to do as it pertains to Smith, his possible two-way pact, and the team’s open 15th roster spot.