According to the Indiana Pacers' official X account, the team has re-signed guard Quenton Jackson to a two-way contract. Though he is not signed to a standard deal, Jackson could be in line for more opportunities and potentially a breakout year as the team will be without Tyrese Haliburton for all of next season as he recovers from an Achilles injury.
The 26-year-old spent parts of the last two seasons in Indiana on a two-way contract and will return to the team for a third season. Though he has only appeared in 31 total games for the Pacers, Jackson has shown flashes, particularly towards the end of last season. In the last two games of the regular season, Jackson averaged 17 points on 43.5% shooting from the field, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2 steals.
Ahead of what many expect to be a gap year next season, the Pacers will rely heavily on some of their young players to see what they have. Despite being on a two-way contract, Jackson could be one of those guys, especially with the team's point guard situation being a bit uncertain given Haliburton's injury.
The Pacers will have a difficult time replacing Tyrese Haliburton
As it stands, it is fair to assume that the Pacers will slide Andrew Nembhard to a full-time point guard role next season and keep T.J. McConnell as the main backup. Additionally, rookie guard Kam Jones could be in line for a big opportunity next year, and Jackson remains a player to keep an eye on the rest of the way. Regardless of who the Pacers put out there, they will almost certainly feel Haliburton's absence throughout.
It was not much of a secret before, but it became even more obvious during Indiana's recent playoff run: Haliburton is crucial to the team's success and is their offensive engine. The Wisconsin native is one of the best and most efficient playmakers in the NBA today, and he took his game up another level by having one of the most clutch individual playoff runs the league has ever seen. He is one of the best point guards in the game for a reason, and the Pacers will greatly miss him during his time on the shelf.
Without Haliburton (and Myles Turner, who signed with the Milwaukee Bucks as an unrestricted free agent earlier this offseason), the Pacers are not likely to be legitimate title contenders next season. Given that they are fresh off an NBA Finals loss, this is not ideal. However, the team will have a unique opportunity to experiment a bit and see what they have in some of their younger players.
It remains to be seen what his role with Indiana will be, or if he will see more time on an NBA court than a G League one, but there is a lot to like about the prospect of Jackson. The Los Angeles native is a promising young guard who has shown glimpses of potential numerous times, is familiar with the system, and provides value on the court. As the Pacers temporarily navigate through a time without Haliburton, they will likely throw a lot of things out to see what sticks, and it would not be a surprise if this culminates in a bigger opportunity for Jackson.