Middle Jalen Smith performed one of the best basketball of his profession for the Indiana Pacers this previous season, and that may really find yourself being an issue for the Pacers franchise.

Smith was acquired by Indiana in a deal on the commerce deadline again in February — the Pacers despatched away Torrey Craig after they obtained Smith and draft compensation from the Phoenix Suns in a financially-motivated transfer. The commerce was a win for everybody — the Pacers, the Suns, Craig, and Smith.

Smith was a winner as a result of he went to an Indiana staff that was way more targeted on growing younger gamers than his earlier squad in Phoenix. Throughout his first season-and-a-half with the Suns, there have been simply 18 occasions through which Smith performed greater than ten minutes in a recreation. With the Pacers in beneath two months, that occurred 22 occasions. The Pacers had extra alternatives for the younger huge, which was useful for his progress.

“I view this as a brand new starting,” Smith stated after being traded. “Taking the whole lot I discovered from Phoenix and simply attempting to carry it over right here and assist in one of the best ways I can.”

The College of Maryland product made the a lot of the improve in minutes. His numbers with the Pacers skyrocketed — he averaged 13.4 factors, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per recreation and shot effectively from each inside and outdoors the three-point arc. He stepped up his recreation in each approach with the blue and gold and confirmed why he was the tenth general decide within the 2020 draft.

These numbers contributed to profitable basketball, not less than to some extent. Indiana had a greater internet ranking with Smith on the ground (-1.9) than off (-3.9) this marketing campaign, and their staff offense numbers had been great when the younger frontcourt participant was within the recreation. Smith proved to be a invaluable participant in Indianapolis, which makes his upcoming free company interval fascinating.

Smith’s contract expired on the finish of the 2021-22 season, and given his age and his manufacturing with the Pacers, many groups, Indiana included, will need to signal him to a brand new deal. However for the Pacers, the staff that gave Smith the chance to point out what he can do, it gained’t be simple to retain the 21-year previous this summer time.

That’s due to one thing that occurred whereas Smith was nonetheless in Phoenix. The Suns drafted Smith tenth general within the first spherical of the 2020 NBA Draft, which meant the massive man put ink on a rookie scale contract that each one first spherical picks signal after they enter the affiliation.

A singular a part of rookie scale contracts is that they’ve staff choices on the ultimate two years of the settlement, and that staff possibility resolution happens a full season prematurely. That meant the Suns needed to decide in the event that they needed to choose up Smith’s third 12 months possibility after his rookie marketing campaign. However after an underwhelming first season for the younger huge, the Suns prioritized future financial savings and declined the $4.67 million third 12 months possibility.

In consequence, Smith can be an unrestricted free agent when July 1 rolls round, which means 29 groups can supply him any contract they need. However there’s a catch that impacts what contract the Pacers can prolong the massive man in free company.

If a participant has their third 12 months and/or fourth 12 months staff possibility declined on a rookie scale contract, then their incumbent staff can solely supply them as much as the sum of money they might have made on their rookie scale deal of their third/fourth season on a brand new contract. That is to stop groups from deliberately declining rookie scale choices as a way to give younger gamers an enormous elevate whereas they nonetheless have staff management as leverage.

On this case, regardless that the Pacers weren’t the staff that declined Smith’s staff possibility, they’re nonetheless his incumbent staff on the conclusion of his second season on his rookie scale deal. Meaning Indiana is proscribed in what they will supply Jalen Smith in free company this summer time — he can’t make greater than $4.67 million with the blue and gold in 2022-23 and may’t be paid greater than $5.95 million (the quantity his fourth-year possibility would have been price) from the franchise in 2023-24. Every other staff within the NBA can supply Smith no matter they need.

Thus, the Pacers are met with a problem. Probably the most they will supply Smith over the following two seasons is only a bit over $10.6 million, which is probably going beneath his market worth, and even providing him that a lot requires a string of 1 12 months offers. It will likely be tough for the group to retain his providers.

“It’s simply an enormous offseason,” Smith stated of his free company. “Scary offseason as effectively, as a result of as a younger participant, you don’t need to make the incorrect resolution.”

In principle, one of the best supply the Pacers might prolong to Smith would come with a participant possibility. So it will be a two-year deal price simply shy of $10 million, however the huge man might choose out of the deal after one 12 months and enter free company once more. At such a younger age, which may be interesting to the middle with an up-and-down profession to date.

Simply taking a look at Smith’s tenure with the Pacers would make it seem as if he was a lock to get way more than $4.76 million from a staff this offseason. His factors per recreation, rebounds per recreation, and three-point capturing proportion numbers with Indiana, in tandem, had been solely matched by three gamers over the course of the whole season — Karl-Anthony Cities, Bobby Portis, and Christian Wooden. The common wage of that trio is over $17 million subsequent season.

However when together with Smith’s manufacturing in Phoenix, which wasn’t practically as robust and featured inconsistent play, it appears extra believable that he is probably not price an excessive amount of greater than the greenback determine the Pacers can supply. As a former top-ten decide with tons of potential, Smith might nonetheless fetch a big deal, however his various affect for 2 completely different groups makes it removed from a lock.

Nonetheless, the Pacers have some steps they may take to maximise their probabilities of retaining the two-year professional this offseason. Considered one of them is providing Smith an opportunity to play and contribute this coming 12 months, as Smith famous that chance will play a job in his free company resolution making course of.

“It’s going to be essential,” he stated when requested how a lot he’ll contemplate match and alternative when choosing his everlasting house. From a match perspective, Smith confirmed that he and Indiana are an excellent match within the last 22 video games of 2021-22. However the alternative a part of that’s extra difficult.

Indiana has Isaiah Jackson, Myles Turner, and Goga Bitadze beneath contract on the middle place subsequent season. If all three return to the blue and gold, there probably gained’t be many frontcourt minutes obtainable in head coach Rick Carlisle’s rotation, which might not assist Smith develop in his profession. With out making strikes to clear up some taking part in time, Smith could select a unique staff as an alternative of the Pacers this offseason, even when the $4.67 million greenback determine does find yourself being sufficient cash to retain his abilities.

And if the Maryland product does return to the staff from the Circle Metropolis, then the Pacers could have the identical concerns subsequent offseason, however with a contract restrict of $5.95 million. There are various elements at play that work in opposition to Indiana, but when they’re prepared to make some strikes and promise some minutes, they’ve an outdoor shot to maintain Smith on the town.

“This offseason goes to return right down to loads of issues,” Smith stated of his free company. He famous that conversations together with his household and illustration can be essential in his resolution making. If the Indiana Pacers are going to be a consideration in that call, they should discover a method to persuade Smith to remain regardless of contract limitations. If they’re prepared to make some sacrifices, maybe they may preserve the younger huge man, however given how effectively he performed down the stretch of final season, he could have priced himself out of the franchise’s constraints already.