Since signing with the Pacers two years ago, Brogdon has lived up to expectations in Indiana, though injuries interrupted.
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The Indiana Pacers have secured guard Malcolm Brogdon to a two-year contract extension worth 45 million dollars that will pay him a total of 89.3 million dollars over the next four years, Brogdon’s agent tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Brogdon’s original deal would’ve ended after the 2023 season, but this new extension won’t make him an unrestricted free agent until 2025.
OFFICIAL: We have signed Malcolm Brogdon to a multi-year contract extension.
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 18, 2021
Brogdon’s coming off a career year in Indiana, where he averaged 21.2 points, nearly six assists and 5.3 rebounds. Since signing with the Pacers two years ago, Brogdon has lived up to expectations in Indiana, though injuries have caused him to miss important time, including the team’s two play-in games last season.
When he’s at full health, he’s a significant piece of Indiana’s core for the future, in addition to Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, Caris LeVert and TJ Warren. When those five players are able to be on the floor together, it should contend for a playoff spot in the East after missing it entirely last season.
Aside from securing Brodgon to a longer deal, this extension also means that he cannot be traded this season, which has significant implications for the Ben Simmons trade market. The Pacers were reportedly one of the teams interested in trading for the disgruntled All-Defensive guard, but the Philadelphia 76ers remained unmoved by a package centering around Brogdon and LeVert. Now, with Brogdon ineligible to be traded, that takes Indiana out of the running for a Simmons deal.
By giving Brogdon more years to his current contract, it signals that Indiana would rather focus on its core as is, and hope that new head coach Rick Carlisle can get this group not just to the postseason, but past the first round.
The slew of rookie contract extensions continues, as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. agreed to a four-year, 105 million dollar deal Monday morning, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Grizzlies and Jackson came to a deal on the final day for contract extensions, as the deadline to get a deal done for the 2018 draft class is 6 p.m. E.T.
In his three years in the league, Jackson has emerged as one of the NBA’s brightest young stars, serving as a versatile 6-11 big man who can stretch the floor out to the three point line. At age 21, he’s barely scratched the surface of what he’s capable of doing, and by signing this extension with Memphis it ensures that he’ll grow with the young core of talent the Grizzlies have on their roster.
Last season Jackson was limited to just 11 games in the regular season after rehabbing from a torn meniscus in his left knee that cut his sophomore season short. However, when he returned last season, he showed shades of his pre-injury self, averaging 14.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 block per game.
In the preseason he showed no signs of any lingering issues from that injury, and should be poised for a big year with a Grizzlies team that will try to get back to the postseason for the second consecutive season. If Jackson is able to return to the player who averaged a career-high 17.4 points, and shot 39.4 percent from deep, then Memphis should be a tough team to beat.
