Pacers waive RayJ Dennis, add G League standout Ethan Thompson on two-way deal
Plus: Garrison Mathews’ 10-day contract expires as Indiana continues to adjust its backcourt depth.
The Pacers had Sunday off after playing — and winning — on back-to-back nights. The front office, however, kept busy and made several tweaks to the roster.
They waived guard RayJ Dennis, who was on one of their three two-way contracts, and signed guard Ethan Thompson to fill that spot.
The news was announced just after 1 p.m. ET on Sunday while the Noblesville Boom were going through a pregame walkthrough at The Arena at Innovation Mile. Dennis was not present, but two-way guard Taelon Peter was.
Also of note: guard Garrison Mathews’ 10-day hardship contract expired after Saturday’s win over the Chicago Bulls. He did not show much during his brief stint. In four games, he shot 2-for-13 and scored nine total points — and went scoreless in three of those games.
In Thompson, the Pacers are adding a slightly older (26) and bigger (6-foot-4) guard. He’s off to an excellent start in the G League season with Sioux Falls, the Miami Heat affiliate.
He ranks fifth in the league in scoring, averaging 26.9 points on 45% shooting, along with 5.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
Like Kyle Guy for Team USA, Thompson was selected to play for Puerto Rico in the 2025 FIBA World Cup Americas qualifying window.
In two games against the Boom this season, Thompson scored 27 and 24 points in consecutive outings while shooting 9-for-18 in both games. And in his last game with Sioux Falls, on Nov. 22, he posted 26 points and 11 rebounds in a 101-98 win over the Wisconsin Herd.
Less than two weeks ago, he had a career game (highlights below).
Thompson is the eighth G League player to earn a call-up this season.
He will become the seventh player in franchise history to wear No. 55 — the first since Roy Hibbert from 2008-2015.
Thompson is from California, played college basketball at Oregon State, and went undrafted in 2021. He’s spent time with several G League teams and now joins Pacers and Boom squads that need more from their guard play. A two-way contract does not count against a team’s salary cap.
Dennis — who signed a two-way deal on Jan. 3, 2025 — appeared in 13 NBA games this season but has not been in the rotation for a month, not since he played 17 minutes in a 114-109 win over the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 1.
Across that game and the night before, he shot a combined 4-for-21 and scored 10 points. He was then added to the injury report with a low back sprain.
After a few weeks, Dennis said he was finally starting to feel more comfortable as he inched towards being back to normal.
“Playing through the season and going through the grind of it, everybody has these nicks and nags and things hurt,” he said one week ago after their first win of the season. “So just finding a way to keep playing through it.”
The Boom have dealt with their own injuries, mirroring the Fever and Pacers. Their two centers haven’t played this season and aren’t expected back for at least a few more weeks. And they’re lacking a true point guard.
Quenton Jackson, who’s also on a two-way deal, remains out (and has been limited this season) due to a right hamstring strain.
Asked what message Dennis received from the front office about what they wanted from him with the Boom, he said, “I think more than anything, they just wanna win. (Somebody) to come in, impact the game, play both sides of the ball, and be a leader, be a point guard.”
One week ago, Dennis led the Boom with 20 points, 10 assists, and four steals in their first win of the season. He and his girlfriend Destiny are close with Tyrese Haliburton and his fiancée, Jade, and they spent Thanksgiving at the Haliburtons.
Dennis then played six minutes this past Friday in a blowout 119-86 win over the Washington Wizards. It was his first NBA action in three games. And now, two days later, he’s a free agent.