Nick Crain | 2/26/23

As it relates to rebuilds, the Indiana Pacers have done a fantastic job over the past several years. The 2019-20 season marked the fifth-straight year in which the Pacers were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round which triggered a looming time for change. The very next season, they once again struggled, finishing 34-38 and missed the playoffs. In the 2021-22 season, Indiana really began to re-tool, which has resulted in one of the most exciting young cores in the NBA today.

One of the moves the Pacers made during this transitionary time was trading for Jalen Smith, a young big that was in need of a change of scenery. The 6-foot-10 prospect is a former lottery pick that just never reached his potential with the Phoenix Suns during the first year and a half with the team. Since being acquired by the Pacers last season, he’s averaged 10.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest which is double the production we saw in Phoenix.

With his increased performance over the past season and a half, Smith is a rising stock according to ProFitX models. When it comes to players that are really starting to emerge, he’s near the top of the list.

In fact, his on-court production right now is worth over 3x what he’s being paid by the Pacers. Smith recently signed a three-year, $15.1 million deal with Indiana and that’s already looking like an extremely team-friendly contract. Especially now that Myles Turner is locked in on a new extension as well, the frontcourt rotation in Indiana is solid. For NBA teams, it’s all about putting the right pieces of the puzzle together at the right price. Over the past two years, that’s been something the Pacers’ front office has been extremely good at.

This should be a lesson learned for teams and players across the league, as some athletes take longer than others to get comfortable at the NBA level. For Smith, it even took a new team and system to really get into his groove. Since becoming a member of the Pacers, he’s steadily improved and has already earned a new contract. At the trajectory he is on, the 22-year-old should continue to get better and live up to the top ten pick that he once was.