The Pacers are giving Quenton Jackson a promotion, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the two-way guard will be converted to a three-year standard contract. Jackson’s agents at Klutch Sports informed Charania of the deal.
Jackson, a four-year veteran, admitted to Tony Easy of Forbes and Circle City Spin that he had been thinking about the possibility of being promoted by Indiana (Twitter link).
“I’ve thought about it. It’s hard not to think about it,” Jackson said. “But at the same time, I wouldn’t say I wrap my head around it too much. In this game, it’s best to think about the things that you can control.”
A league source tells East (Twitter link) that Jackson’s new deal will be partially guaranteed in 2026/27 and non-guaranteed for the ’27/28 campaign.
A 27-year-old point guard, Jackson went undrafted in 2022 out of Texas A&M. He has made 30 appearances this season for the Pacers, averaging 9.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 17.3 minutes per game. His shooting line is a very solid .489/.409/.810.
Jackson’s two-way deal expires at season’s end. And because this is his fourth NBA season, he wouldn’t be eligible for another two-way contract in 2026/27, so Indiana needed to move him to the standard roster in order to retain him beyond this year.
General manager Chad Buchanan, Dustin Dopriak of The Indianapolis Star, and most recently East previously identified Jackson as a candidate to be promoted. The Pacers were carrying an open standard roster spot, so no corresponding move was needed to convert Jackson.
Buchanan told East a couple weeks ago that Jackson was “a big part of our culture in our locker room” and lauded the fourth-year guard’s energy, toughness, and positive attitude. For his part, Jackson said he loved Indiana and his fit within the team’s offense.
Promoting Jackson will create a two-way opening for the Pacers, which they’ll have until next Wednesday to fill. Taelon Peter and Ethan Thompson currently hold Indiana’s other two-way spots.