Pacers Break the Glass on Two-Way Contracts for Wednesday Slate

The Indiana Pacers are digging so deep into their depth chart that they are activating guys who sound like generated rookies at the end of a franchise mode simulation. Braden Smith, Jalen Slawson, and Kobe Brown are officially listed as active for Wednesday's slate.

If you are frantically checking your fantasy waiver wire or staring at a prop sheet wondering who these guys are, you are not alone. The Pacers are currently navigating a roster crunch that recently saw them field just seven available players. With Obi Toppin dressing but not actually playing, Indiana is officially breaking the glass on their two-way contracts just to field a functional rotation.

"Underdog NBA reported the trio is listed active for Wednesday."

Kobe Brown and Jalen Slawson actually earned some real trust late last season. Brown came over from the LA Clippers and shot over 43 percent from deep in 27 games for Indiana. Slawson spent most of his time dominating the G League, putting up over 19 points a game and becoming a first-team All-Defensive player for the Noblesville Boom.

Then there is Braden Smith, the rookie point guard out of Purdue. The front office openly admitted they wanted him getting heavy G League reps to learn how to play at an NBA pace. Instead, he is getting thrown right into the Wednesday night fire, ankle injury history and all.

For anyone looking at the betting markets, this is the kind of chaotic rotation news that swings late-game totals. When a team is relying on two-way guys to eat meaningful rotation minutes, you are either getting a desperate breakout performance or a lot of blown defensive assignments.

We will see exactly how short the leash is for this trio on Wednesday night. If they hold their own, the Pacers might just keep Brown and Slawson up with the main club for the foreseeable future. If not, expect a very quick trip back to Noblesville.