Staying With Pacers Was An Easy Choice For Kobe Brown In Free Agency

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 26: Kobe Brown #24 of the Indiana Pacers brings the ball up court during the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on February 26, 2026 in Indianapolis, In...

July 30, 2026

LAS VEGAS – It’s loud and crowded in Cox Pavillion, but you can see Kobe Brown’s smile from all angles. His Indiana Pacers are battling the Cleveland Cavaliers in summer league action. And Brown, for the first time in his career, isn’t on a summer league roster – he graduated from that.

Instead, he’s sitting courtside as a three-year veteran. Brown is nestled between Obi Toppin and Andrew Nembhard, two players that have had their careers take off with the Pacers. Brown hopes to be next. And he’s beaming because those are officially his teammates once again – one day earlier, Brown re-signed with the franchise on a two-way contract.

“I definitely wanted to come back from the jump,” Brown said of his thinking in free agency. His career got back on track with the Pacers – most of his important stats rose during his time in Indiana during the 2025-26 season. “It’s good to be back with the guys, with the program, the staff. I’m happy to be here.”

Brown started his time in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he never played more than nine minutes per game. He rarely earned rotation minutes for LA and scored in double figures just twice in 118 games.

His second time scoring 10-plus points for Indiana? That came in just his fourth game with the team. In his next appearance, he scored 15 – a career high at the time. It took him about two weeks with the Pacers to produce more statistically than he did with the Clippers.

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“We were so pleasantly surprised at a lot of the things he was doing,” Pacers general manager Chad Buchahan said of Brown on the Setting The Pace podcast. “[We] felt like this was a pretty good fit (in) our system. Our coaches trust Kobe.”

Brown continued to perform well as the season progressed. He averaged 9.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for the franchise while hitting a blistering 43.3% of his three-point shots. Even if his shooting was a flash in the pan, his work on the boards and defensive effort were clear, repeatable skills.

Naturally, the Pacers wanted him back. Buchanan admitted the team had a bit of a roster crunch at Brown’s position, so giving him a standard deal was likely not a possibility. But a two-way agreement made good sense, and Brown’s representation was comfortable with the contract.

Why did Kobe Brown choose to stay with the Pacers?

“Standard [contract] is always the goal,” Brown admitted. “But honestly… something in my gut just told me I needed to come back to Indy. And I really wanted to be here. I loved it the last two months I was there.”

Across three seasons with the Clippers, Brown averaged 8.1 minutes a night. In his 27 outings with Indiana, Brown averaged 24.7, over half of the minutes in a game. His opportunities grew significantly with the Pacers, and he earned the playing time with his strong play.

Indiana Pacers guard Kobe Brown (24) plays against the Miami Heat during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

That, too, played a part in Brown’s decision to return to the blue and gold. Brown got chances and got better – and he still has room to grow since he’s just 26 years old and only has been in the NBA for three seasons.

“[I] like his versatility,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Brown last season. “Moves his feet well. Has a rugged body. His rebounding is very good. Love the way he’s shooting the ball right now.”

Those traits were major factors in Carlisle giving Brown some time on the hardwood. His early success was key, too, and Brown fit well in the Pacers system. He touched the ball more often, moved freely, and made decisions with confidence.

He will now get more chances to do so. And by being on a two-way contract, Brown could get development opportunities with the Pacers G League affiliate team, the Noblesville Boom, when the Pacers are healthy and don’t have minutes available for depth pieces.

“Just coming from my last team to this team, a whole different world and playstyle. And just realizing how much I fit into the randomness, basically,” Brown said of the Pacers system and how it played a role in free agency. “It’s fun to play, it’s fun to see, it’s fun to be a part of, and I’m just happy to still be here.”

Brown heard from several of his teammates just after re-signing and worked with many of them during his trips to Indianapolis throughout the summer. Even though he spent about one-third of last season with the team, Brown has never played with teammates Tyrese Haliburton, Kelly Oubre, Johnny Furphy, and Larry Nance. So offseason reps have extra value to him.

And Brown’s recent gym time has more benefits than just working with some new teammates. He’s also trying to refine some of his skills, especially now that he knows what the Pacers style requires. “Just keep getting familiar with the system. I think I took strides. I got better at it. The more I played, the more I was around during the season, that got better and better,” Brown said. He’s been in Los Angeles to train for much of the offseason. “I’m playing in it, and I’m growing in the system.[The offseason will] be good.”

Brown projects to be a depth piece on the wing for the Pacers behind Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard, (when healthy) Furphy, and Oubre. It will require injuries for the fourth-year pro to get minutes. But he’s a productive player for someone signed to a two-way contract, and the Pacers should be thrilled to have him back and get more chances to develop him in their system. The Pacers will hold Brown’s Bird Rights if he stays with the franchise through the 2026-27 season, meaning re-signing him next summer will be easier should he have another solid campaign.