The Indiana Pacers exercised the fourth-year options of Jarace Walker (and Ben Sheppard), signaling that they still view him as a potential long-term contributor amid his up-and-down start as an NBA player.
With this decision, Walker is now under contract through the 2027-28 NBA season. It's still going to be a while before the Pacers need to make a definitive decision on the Houston alum, but in the meantime, it has become clear that they still want to keep him around for the foreseeable future.
Regardless, this decision was likely not much of a difficult one for Indiana, but it is still telling that it doesn't want to risk losing him for nothing in the near future.
Jarace Walker has a prime opportunity to turn his Pacers career around
The Pacers landed Walker via a draft-day trade after the Washington Wizards selected him eighth overall in 2023. Since then, things have not gone too smoothly for the Pennsylvania native.
Through his first two seasons in the league, Walker averaged 5.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 14.1 minutes while shooting 45.7% from the field and 40.4% from deep.
Walker has shown flashes of being a legitimate contributor in Indiana despite his underwhelming start. In his last 10 games of the 2024-25 season, he averaged 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting an incredible 53.2% from the field and 53.7% from beyond the arc.
Unfortunately for him, he has not been able to get consistent playing time, and it's likely played a big role in his slow development.
A big reason for this is that Walker is stuck in a logjam behind Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin at power forward. Additionally, there were some questions about what his best position for the long run would be (between either forward position or maybe even as a small-ball center). Plus, he looked a bit lost and inconsistent on both sides of the ball to begin his career, which made regular playing time even more unlikely for Walker.
However, that should all change this season, and fans should be excited about what the 22-year-old can bring to the table.
With Myles Turner no longer on the team following his departure for the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason, this will open up opportunities for Walker and Toppin to play more small-ball center. This will also, in turn, create more opportunities behind Siakam at power forward.
Additionally, it seems that many within the organization are fans of Walker's, and it's easy to understand why.
Last November, head coach Rick Carlisle spoke about Walker's "exponential" growth after a win against the Orlando Magic. In doing so, he pinpointed exactly what makes him so special and why he can be a valuable asset to the team.
"His growth is exponential," Carlisle said about Walker in November 2024. "He's gotten better in all areas. He's an elite passer and has great vision. In the NBA, he's probably in the top 5 or 10 percent in terms of court vision. In the NBA, you must be a threat to score for your passing to be really effective. Otherwise, they'll just play at you and fake at you. He's striking the right balance there."
The 6-foot-8 forward has a lot to like about his game. He can shoot, defend, and pass. Additionally, he is incredibly versatile and physical, which makes him a unique player on Indiana's roster.
Walker should be in line for a big opportunity this season, and he may finally have his breakout year. He is going to be a player the Pacers must rely on as they look to make some noise in a wide-open Eastern Conference.