Micah Potter’s Pacers contract guaranteed for remainder of season
Undrafted in 2021, Potter worked through training camps — including Team USA — and the G League to earn his first guaranteed NBA contract.
Micah Potter got the call before Christmas about signing with the Indiana Pacers. He then inked his first standard NBA contract on Dec. 26, only days after posting a 15 & 11 double-double in front of multiple team executives at the G League Winter Showcase while playing for the Austin Spurs.
Now 13 days later, he’s reached another milestone in his young career.
A guaranteed contract.
The 5 p.m. ET deadline passed Wednesday with Potter still on the Pacers’ roster — and with the team in Charlotte. At that point, all NBA contracts become guaranteed for the remainder of the season.
To make the moment even more meaningful, Potter was able to share it with his dad. After recently hosting the team’s sixth annual moms’ trip — a one-game excursion with all players’ mothers invited on the charter — the Pacers welcomed all dads (a first) to Charlotte.
Potter was signed to a two-year contract late last month after multiple injuries to the center position. He’ll earn about $1.5 million for the rest of this season.
He beat out James Wiseman, who is one year removed from Achilles surgery, and Tony Bradley. Bradley is dealing with a fracture to the tip of his right thumb (shooting hand), though the Pacers intend to bring him back on a 10-day contract — as Tony East first noted.
Indiana waived Bradley earlier this week for salary cap savings and flexibility with the trade deadline approaching. He’s averaging 3.9 points, and 2.6 assists in less than 11 minutes per game.
Bradley’s return is tied to Isaiah Jackson’s continued absence. Jackson remains in the concussion protocol after being injured Dec. 22 in Boston. Thursday’s game in Charlotte marked his ninth consecutive missed game.
Potter is from nearby in Mentor, Ohio — so he’s a midwest guy.
He went undrafted out of the University of Wisconsin in 2021, but signed a 10-day contract with the Detroit Pistons during his rookie season. Since then, he’s mostly played in the G League. Potter was with Austin this season after participating in training camp with the San Antonio Spurs.
“He’s a guy that loves to play, loves to compete,” said head coach Rick Carlisle. “He’s got an intellectual curiosity for the game. He thinks the game, all those kinds of things. And he does the basics very, very well. And so he’s done some good things, and we’re glad to have him on board.”
To use a word Carlisle has leaned on, Potter has been “solid.”
He runs the floor well, communicates, plays physically, and can knock down the outside shot. Carlisle also praised how quickly Potter picked up Indiana’s system — and how rapidly he earned trust as a result.
Potter became the 19th G League player to receive a call-up this season.
“They’ve simplified things a little bit for me,” Potter said recently. “And the nice thing is a lot of the things in the NBA — actions, offenses, defenses, whatever — there’s a lot of similarities between teams. It’s just sometimes it’s a different terminology. But basketball is basketball, right? Especially in this league, you want to play fast, create with pace and space. And I know with us, that’s our bread and butter offensively, pace and space.”
In his short time in Indianapolis, Potter has already started two of his seven games. This is a team that has used 21 different starting lineups, though it went back to Jay Huff on Tuesday against Cleveland. Potter has scored in double figures in three straight games and is averaging 8.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in roughly 20 minutes per night.
He is also shooting 40.9% from 3-point range (9 of 22).
“I take pride in my ability as a shooter,” he said. “… Whatever position they put me in, being able to space the floor creates so much opportunities for my teammates. And so that’s all I’m trying to do. I’m trying to play winning basketball, and whether that’s shooting the ball, laying it up, setting good screens, passing, playing defense, whatever.
“He’s been a positive light for our group,” said veteran guard T.J. McConnell. “And he’s played well. He’s come in, he’s had to learn our defensive coverages, our offense, and the way we play — and he’s hit the ground running. I’m really happy for the guy coming in here and playing the way he has been.”
Potter still hasn’t experienced a Pacers win; they’ve lost a franchise record 13 games in a row. The 6–31 Pacers’ last victory came Dec. 8 against Sacramento.
The team’s issue is putting together a full 48-minute game. (Shout-out Nate McMillan, once again) They’ll play great for 40 minutes, but have an awful stretch where they give up a run to the opponent.
The most recent example came Tuesday, when the Pacers won each of the first three quarters but were outscored 36–23 in the fourth in a 120–116 home loss to Cleveland.
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” he said. “I think it’s so hard — I mean, you guys (media) would know this answer better than me — the amount of different people we’ve had come in and out. Being in the G League, that’s what you experience most of the time, whether it’s two-ways, assignment guys, guys getting called up, whatever. There’s no continuity. And it’s tough to develop chemistry with that kind of a thing. Injuries, too. I mean, we’ve been decimated by injuries, obviously.
“… We play a game for a living. It’s a blessing. And so trying to find that joy, trying to find that camaraderie and try to find that competitiveness for a full 48 minutes. Mistakes are going to happen. But pick each other up, move on to the next play, and continue to play hard. Just try to get back to that mindset.”
Potter first crossed paths with new teammate Tyrese Haliburton two summers ago in Las Vegas, when he was named to the USA Select Team — the group that practices against the National Team ahead of international competition. That summer preceded the Paris Olympics, where Team USA won gold.
“That was the hands down coolest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Potter said, beaming. “I had no idea it was going to happen until my agent called me out of the blue. And so going into that kind of an environment, Kevin Durant said it’s the greatest team he’s ever played on. And so with that, you could argue it’s the greatest team ever assembled, which is incredible.
“Look at the names get on the list. It’s incredible. And so being in that kind of an environment, you see how those kinds of guys prepare, and you see how they approach the game mentally and physically. And it’s one of those things where you go into that environment, and then I ended up playing, which was nuts too, getting on the floor with all of them. And you just kind of learn to gain confidence. And you also realize these are the greatest players in the world, but they’re also human.
“I’m a fan of basketball. I watch it all the time. Growing up, I was a fan of basketball. But when you’re with these people, you start to realize that they are human too. They laugh, they crack jokes, they make mistakes, they have families, whatever. And so they are the best people in the world at what they do, which is why they’re famous.”
Beyond watching and learning while also competing, this opportunity was a memorable one because it’s when Potter felt like he belonged. Admittedly, he’s not the same caliber of player — but he can battle and carve out a role to help. Most of the NBA is role players; it’s how you can have a 10-year career if you play your cards right. Just ask McConnell, for example.
“That was the biggest thing I got, was a confidence boost,” he continued. (And as you’ve now surely noticed, he’s an excellent interview.
“Like, OK, I know that I’m not these people. I’m not as talented as these guys or gifted as these guys. But I am very good at being able to create for those kind of people.”
Undrafted, then overlooked, Potter earned a Select Team nod, a training camp opportunity, and now a guaranteed NBA contract. In 2026, he has secured his first million dollars by being dependable, prepared, and exactly what the Pacers needed in the moment.
The next step is experiencing a Pacers win.
“Anything I can do to help this team win,” Potter said, “that’s what I’m here to do.”
Tried to share this story and when u click on email it does nothing. facebook is fine, but email does not work, trying to send it to jonadammatthews@gmail.com
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he's probably never going to be a rim protector, but otherwise he looks solid