Indiana
Indiana Pacers Must Manage Two-Way Contract Player Availability Down Stretch
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DECEMBER 20: Ethan Thompson #55 of the Indiana Pacers takes a shot over Derik Queen #22 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half of a game at Smoothie King Center on December 20, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON – The Indiana Pacers have a player availability puzzle to put together down the stretch of the 2025-26 season, and it involves all three of their players on two-way contracts.
Currently, the Pacers have Jalen Slawson, Ethan Thompson, and Taelon Peter signed to two-way deals. Thompson and Peter have been helpful at different points this season, and all three players are healthy right now. They each project to have a bigger role in the Pacers’ final outings of the season.
But they can’t all play in every game thanks to two-way contract rules, and the Pacers will have to juggle the availability of each player. Indiana has already played multiple games since the All-Star break with just one or two or their two-way contract signees available to play.
That’s because two-way agreements come with a limit – players on such contracts can only be active in 50 games per season (or a proportionate ratio of 50/82 games at the time of signing based on the number of days left in the season). The Pacers couldn’t get by without their two-way contract players at various moments this season due to injuries, with Peter being active for 23 of the team’s first 25 games and Thompson during every game from December 1 through January 17.
During those stretches, Indiana needed their two-way players to field a team or a rotation that actually made sense. It wasn’t a poor use of their active days. But that two-way usage early in the season now requires the Pacers to be strategic down the stretch of 2025-26. They have 22 more games this season but won’t be able to use their two-way talents in all of them.
Peter, a rookie selected in the second round of last June’s NBA Draft, had a rush of games to open the campaign, and he’s allowed to suit up 14 more times this league year. “He’s figuring out what being a professional basketball player is about,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Peter and his in-season growth earlier this month. “It’s about being who you are all the time, regardless of make or miss. Just keep playing, just keep staying aggressive.”
Thompson was signed on November 30, which permitted him to appear in 39 games this season. He’s only got 10 left – Thompson was effective right away with the Pacers and played often after his signing. He was named to the NBA G League Next Up game, effectively the G League All-Star game, for his performances this campaign.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – OCTOBER 13: Taelon Peter #4 of the Indiana Pacers takes a shot against the San Antonio Spurs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on October 13, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) Getty Images
Slawson signed his contract earlier today and is eligible for 13 appearances the rest of the way for the Pacers. So, with 22 games remaining, none of the team’s two-way contract players can be active for each remaining game. The team will have to figure out the best strategy when it comes to managing two-way player availability during the final months of the season.
Another consideration for the franchise is that two-way players, by virtue of their contract, can be transferred down to the G League at any time. Peter, Slawson, and Thomspon have combined for 64 appearances with Indiana’s G League affiliate team, the Noblesville Boom, this season. Once the Boom’s season ends – their final scheduled game is March 26 but the team currently holds a playoff spot – then the G League is not an option for two-way players.
So the Pacers have to figure out the best way to deploy, and evaluate, their two-way contract signees during March and April. It’s a lot to manage.
“We’re trying to save games for him,” Carlisle said of the Pacers decision to keep Quenton Jackson, who was previously on a two-way contract, inactive for a game earlier this month. “We want to conserve those games as much as possible.”
Jackson had his contract converted from a two-way deal to a standard deal earlier today, and Slawson filled his two-way slot. It was sharp business for the Pacers, but they lost some available two-way days as a result – Jackson had more than 13 games remaining, but Slawson gets fewer because of the day he signed his contract.
“Two-way guys, your life is a lot of unpredictability of where you’re going to be from day to day,” Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan shared in February.
If the Pacers want to keep their two-way talents around the NBA club as much as possible, their best course of action could be to keep two of the three active in every game and occasionally just have one of the three available. If the team can get to a spot in which they have 15 games left on the schedule and all of their two-way talents have 10+ games left in which they could be active, two of the three could play every night during the final 15 outings. Using all three at once could be difficult, though Indiana may choose to deploy each of Thompson, Peter, and Slawson on the second night of back-to-backs as they manage injuries down the stretch. Putting any of the trio in the G League for a few days is an option, too, but comes with injury risks.
Slawson has not appeared in a game for the Pacers yet this season. Peter is averaging 3.3 points per game while shooting 35.8% from the field while Thompson is posting 4.9 points per contest and knocking down 36.7% of his shots. The Pacers are 15-45 with three back-to-backs remaining and three games left against teams near them in the inverse standings.
Indiana
Kelsey Mitchell winner completes Fever comeback against Mercury, without Caitlin Clark
Indiana Fever win season series over Phoenix Mercury with late heroics
The game was up for grabs late, and without Caitlin Clark, it was Ty Harris delivering alongside the stars. IndyStar Fever insider Chloe Peterson details.
PHOENIX — The Indiana Fever barely eked out of Mortgage Matchup Arena with a 92-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night on the second night of a back-to-back.
Caitlin Clark (rest) did not play after making her return on a minutes restriction on Wednesday against Los Angeles. Aliyah Boston, who missed the game against L.A. for precautionary reasons, finished with 19 points and eight rebounds against the Mercury.
Kelsey Mitchell scored 29 points on 10-of-22 shooting, adding on eight assists. She hit the game-winning layup with 10 seconds left. Tyasha Harris finished with 15 points and five assists, including a stretch of nine of 11 Fever points to close the gap.
Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas had 22 points, six rebounds and seven assists, Kahleah Copper added 22 points and five rebounds.
Here’s what I liked and disliked, and what the win means.
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What I liked in the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury
- Early 3-point shooting: One of Boston’s main focuses this offseason was improving her 3-point shot, and it’s coming to fruition. She made two 3-pointers in the first quarter, helping lead the Fever to six total makes beyond the arc in the opening 10-minute period. Harris, starting in place of Clark, had two 3-pointers in the first quarter, as well, with Lexie Hull and Mitchell each making one. At the time, it was big for the Fever to maintain a lead.
- Roaring back in the third quarter: Basketball is a game of runs, and the Fever embodied that. They led by 12 in the first, then trailed by four at halftime, then went on a 20-9 run over seven minutes in the third quarter to take a one-point lead by the end of the third. Mitchell was the one to lead that comeback, scoring nine points on 3-of-6 shooting along with three assists in that quarter. The third was crucial for the Fever not just to get back into the lead, but, especially on a back-to-back, to try and have the mental fortitude to close the game out.
- Tyasha Harris coming in clutch: Harris’ role has expanded since Clark has been out (or limited), and she is making the most of her minutes. She scored nine points in the fourth quarter alone, including a 3-pointer with three minutes left to take the lead, then four straight points to give the Fever the lead again with 44 seconds left. She finished the game with 15 points and five assists, being the facilitator the Fever need while Clark recovers.
What I disliked in the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury
- Second-quarter slide: For the second straight game, the Fever held a double-digit lead in the first quarter then were trailing by halftime. The Fever allowed the Mercury to shoot 12 of 20 from the field in the second quarter (and 5 of 8 from 3-point range), completely negating the Fever’s six 3-pointers from the first quarter. Phoenix went on a 12-2 run over the final three minutes of the quarter, too, taking advantage of the Fever’s off the mark shots.
- Silly mistakes: In a close game like this, every possession matters. And every mistake compounds. The Fever had a few in the second half, including a shot-clock violation from Harris where she wasn’t even in shooting motion yet, a defensive three-seconds foul from Aliyah Boston, a backcourt violation from Kelsey Mitchell, and another shot clock violation from Raven Johnson to start the fourth quarter. All of those mistakes gives Phoenix extra points or extra possessions. While the Fever ultimately won the game, it made it closer than it needed to be.
What the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury means
Indiana (13-9) is a strong team offensively, but recently, the Fever haven’t been able to get out of their own way on defense. It showed in the runs they gave up to Phoenix, flip-flopping the lead and forcing the Fever to continue to play from behind. It worked out for Indiana this time around, finding what they needed when they needed it, but it won’t be sustainable long term.
Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at chloe.peterson@indystar.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.
Indiana
Attempted murder suspect arrested in Indianapolis for Bloomington shooting
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — A Bloomington man was arrested Wednesday in Indianapolis on an attempted murder charge after police say he fired seven to eight rounds into a white GMC SUV occupied by three adults and four children last month in Bloomington before fleeing the area.
A news release issued Thursday from the Bloomington Police Department said members of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s special weapons and tactics team took Kafern P. Johnson, 32, into custody near the intersection of West 84th Street and Allison Avenue in Indianapolis without incident.
The arrest came more than two weeks after the June 23 shooting in the 1000 block of North Summit Street. That’s in a residential area next to Crestmont Park in Bloomington.
Monroe County Central Emergency Dispatch received 911 calls at 7:41 p.m. June 23 reporting gunfire in the area.
Responding patrol officers and detectives determined Johnson had fired into the SUV following a verbal fight with the vehicle’s driver. Police said the dispute stemmed from an argument over a relationship.
No injuries were reported despite the number of people inside the vehicle.
Following his arrest, Johnson was taken to an IMPD facility for questioning and later booked into the Marion County jail. On Thursday morning, he was booked into the Monroe County jail.
The release said Johnson could face felony charges of attempted murder, criminal recklessness with a firearm, and pointing a firearm. No formal charges have yet been filed, according to online court records.
Bloomington police asked anyone with additional information to call 812-349-3324.
This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.
Indiana
FAIRFIELD NATIVE AND HIS WIFE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR NEWBURGH, INDIANA HOME
Fairfield native, David K. Wells, 69, and his wife Aileen, were found dead inside their home in Newburgh, Indiana, Monday night. Warrick County Sheriff Michael Wilder said that deputies responded to the residence just before 8:00 p.m. after dispatch received a call around 7:40 p.m. from a friend of the family requesting a welfare check. When officers didn’t get an answer at the door, they entered through the back of the home and found the couple deceased. Officers cleared the home and waited for detectives to arrive. Investigators also obtained a search warrant to do a further examination of the residence. Authorities were able to notify family members and conduct interviews to gather additional information. Sheriff Wilder said investigators believe the couple had been dead for less than 24 hours before they were found. He also said there is no indication of any forced entry or an intruder. Sheriff Wilder has not made a formal determination as to what happened. Autopsies for the couple were scheduled for yesterday morning to help determine a cause. David Wells grew up in Fairfield and graduated from Fairfield High School in 1975. He had a long career in television commercial production in Evansville and had more recently operated the Cigar! Cigar! tobacco store in Evansville.
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