After being acquired effectively as matching salary in a trade for a second round pick that sent Torrey Craig to Phoenix, Jalen Smith has agreed to a two-year deal to stay in Indiana, reports The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Smith, who had his $4.6 million option declined by the Suns, played more minutes for the Pacers following the trade deadline than any other center on the roster but wasn’t guaranteed to return, as Indiana was limited to offering no more than the figure of his original option in the first year.
After a hot start from three, in which he knocked down 11 of his first 14 tries, Smith cooled down from distance over the last 15 games of the season, connecting on just 32 percent, but he demonstrated some flashes of shot versatility; popping out to three, stepping into some attempts as a trailer, and even cutting into the corner from the baseline on occasion, putting tension on opposing taggers.