In his four-year NBA career, Pacers center Isaiah Jackson has played 60-plus games just once. Last season he played just five because of a torn Achilles tendon early in the year. Thus, even after four years, it still doesn't feel like we really know how productive he can be. Heading into 2025-26, with a new contract in hand and a new role with the departure of Myles Turner, Jackson might quickly prove that his contract was a far smarter move than many folks thought when it was originally announced.
Jackson isn't a household name who wasn't on the court basically at all last year, so his extension — while not shocking to Pacers fans who know how high the front office is on him — confused some fans elsewhere and led to a lot of "who?" and "why?" responses from folks who don't actually watch Pacers basketball. I can at least understand the "why" questions solely because Jackson did tear his Achilles last season, and giving guaranteed money to a guy coming off that injury, who relies a lot on his athleticism, is a risk.
But by signing Jackson before he gets back on the court, the Pacers are basically trying to get ahead of the curve and hoping that Jackson emerges into an important part of their team. In that case, they have a steal. If he doesn't, the team basically eats $21 million dollars, which isn't ideal but isn't going to cook their books, especially with next year being essentially a gap year.
Will Isaiah Jackson be the Pacers starting center?
Jackson's deal came soon after Myles Turner signed his deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. Losing Turner, the starting center for over a decade, isn't small potatoes. He was a staple for this franchise and Jackson isn't expected to be a direct replacement for Turner anyway, considering their games are pretty much polar opposites. But Jackson, along with offseason addition Jay Huff, are going to battle for the starting center spot in Indy because, well, there aren't many other options.
Huff was kind of awesome last year with the Grizzlies; but going from being a fun bench guy to a starter is a pretty big leap. The other centers on the roster will be Tony Bradley and James Wiseman (who is back with Indy on a two-year deal) but I don't think either will be featured much in the Pacers lineup, so that leaves time to be split between Jackson and Huff. If Isaiah Jackson starts the year as the starting five, then a $7 million contract suddenly looks like the most team-friendly deal in the league.
As always, I should note... I am a proponent of players getting their money. But I also don't blame Jackson for taking this deal — after a scary injury, there would be no sense in turning down three years of financial security. The team showed him they still believe in him; he can pay off that belief pretty quickly.