Pacers waive forward Kendall Brown, trimming roster to 15
They acquired the 48th pick in 2022 to select Brown. His first year was a lost season due to injury and he has not shown enough in the preseason.
Two weeks after the start of Indiana Pacers training camp, they have made their first roster move before the start of the regular season.
The Pacers waived forward Kendall Brown on Tuesday, which trims the roster to 15 (plus three two-way players).
All along, it’s seemingly been battle between Brown and Cole Swider, another third-year player, for the final roster spot. Both were signed to non-guaranteed deals worth $2.1 million for the 2024-25 season.
Swider, at 6-foot-8, appeared more polished and ready to contribute right away. He’s a deep threat, a reliable rebounder, and has shown his willingness to provide the intangibles.
Technically, Swider is still on a summer contract after signing a camp deal on August 8th. They still have time to decide on his contract.
Swider played 23 minutes against the Grizzlies, the same amount of time Brown played in three games total.
He checked into their home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday with 3:59 to play and he scored quickly, finishing a dunk after Tristen Newton found him cutting to the basket. He finished with two points and a rebound.
Brown spent the majority of the last two seasons with the Mad Ants, their G League affiliate. He averaged 17.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game last season in 36 appearances.
The Pacers acquired the 48th pick in 2022 from Minnesota, his hometown team, to select Brown after he played one season at Baylor University.
By waiving him now, it also gives Brown the opportunity to sign with another team during a week when every team has roster decisions to make ahead of cut-down day on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. That’s when players must be waived ahead of opening night rosters being set next Monday.
Swider, 25, is a winner who spent his first three seasons at Villanova before finishing up at Syracuse. He then spent his first two seasons with the Lakers and Heat, respectively.
The Pacers also officially signed, then waived veteran center Jahlil Okafor. It was an Exhibit 10 deal and was done for him to be with the Mad Ants this upcoming season.
Likely in a similar role as Jordan Bell last season.
He joins a group that includes Josiah-Jordan James, Tyler Polley, Keisei Tominaga, Dakota Mathias, Kyle Mangas, Cameron McGriff.
That’s in addition to the three players on two-way contracts: Quenton Jackson, Tristen Newton, Enrique Freeman.
Okafor, a 6-foot-11 center, and was the third overall pick in 2015 taken by the Philadelphia 76ers. Current Pacers lead assistant Lloyd Pierce was on staff in Philly at the time — and guard T.J. McConnell made that team after going undrafted.
Okafor has been out of the NBA the past three seasons, and since he played 27 games with the Detroit Pistons during the 2020-21 season.