Pacers sign second-round pick Tristen Newton to two-way contract
First Quenton Jackson, then Tristen Newton. The Pacers used their second (of three) two-way deals to sign their second-round pick out of UConn. He won back-to-back NCAA titles.
Tristen Newton keeps winning.
First, back-to-back NCAA national championships at the University of Connecticut after transferring from East Carolina. Then he was drafted in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft last month by the Indiana Pacers at pick 49.
Now he’s signed his first NBA contract.
One day after bringing by guard Quenton Jackson for another season on two-way deal, the Pacers signed their second of three draft picks.
Newton, 23, inked his two-way deal on Saturday. That’ll guarantee him nearly $600,000 — which is half the league minimum.
With all 15 standard roster spots filled, the Pacers moved to fill out the bottom of the roster. Their two-way contracts have a focus on the future.
Oscar Tshiebwe was a rookie last season and was on a two-way contract. But they also drafted Enrique Freeman with the No. 50 pick. That’s among the final decisions for the team to make, including whether the roster includes Kendall Brown — who is on a non-guaranteed standard deal.
For the second consecutive season, NBA teams may have up to three players signed to two-way deals — which enables them to split their time between the G League (Indiana Mad Ants) and NBA team (Pacers).
Newton started in all 40 games last year at UConn, averaging 15.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game for the Huskies en route to another title run. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2024 men’s NCAA Tournament.
Then with the Pacers for summer league in Las Vegas, Newton started in three of the five games and averaged 9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game.