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Coming into the 2025 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers did not have a first round pick. They ended up with two second round picks, however, in trading for the No. 38 pick from the San Antonio Spurs, and then already possessing the No. 54 pick. In days past, it used to be difficult for second round draft picks to make a team’s final roster, but the addition of the two-way contract has eased things. The Pacers used a two-way contract on Taelon Peter, their draft pick at No. 54, as per Michael Scotto of Hoopshype.com.
The Pacers selected Kam Jones with the No. 38 overall pick in the draft, but he received a standard rookie contract. Peter will be on a two-way contract on the Pacers’ roster and thus will be limited to only 50 NBA games. Should the Pacers make the playoffs, Peter’s contract would have be converted to standard deal in order to be postseason eligible.
In order to make room for Peter, the Pacers withdrew their two-way qualifying offer from Enrique Freeman, as per Keith Smith of Spotrac. Freeman was selected by the Pacers in the 2024 NBA Draft and played his rookie season on a two-way contract.
Peter now joins Quenton Jackson and RayJ Dennis as the team’s three designated two-way contract players. All three will likely see plenty of live game reps in the G League with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers affiliate. Dennis, while going undrafted in 2024, is also an NBA rookie while Jackson has three years of NBA experience.
Last season, Peter helped guide Liberty to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in four years. He came off the bench, appearing in 35 games with two starts, at a little over 22 minutes per game. He averaged 13.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists with splits of 57.8 percent shooting from the field, 45.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 77.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line. He was named Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year.
