Pacers Sign Rookie Kam Jones To Unique Four-Year Standard Contract

INDIANAPOLIS – Kam Jones has signed his first professional contract, inking a four-year deal with the Indiana Pacers.

Jones, a rookie that the Pacers acquried via a draft trade with the San Antonio Spurs, was the 38th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Indiana wanted a selection early in the second round for multiple reasons – the keys ones being that the team didn’t have a first-round pick after a mid-June trade and the roster projected to be expensive while selections in the 30s end up being cheaper contributors.

Why did the Pacers sign and draft Kam Jones?

With all of that at play, the Pacers acquired Jones. The guard spent four years at Marquette, where he played both on and off the ball during different seasons. As a senior, he averaged 19.2 points and 5.9 blockists per game.

“Tough kid. Loves the gym, lives for the gym. I like the fact that he played (positions) two and one. He was a two guard the year before, then a point guard,” Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard said of Jones. “But if you ever get around him, he reminds me of, personlity wise, [Tyrese Haliburton]

. He’s hyper positive. He’s watching from the sidelines, and he’s got that kind of an it factor of ‘that’s a Pacer’. Once you see a Pacer, I can tell that guys a Pacer. He’s a big-time worker. We’re excited.”

Jones has been practicing with his new team ahead of summer league this week. He, along with returning Pacers RayJ Dennis and Quenton Jackson, project to get a big dose of ball handling reps. That should benefit Jones, who can succeed at multiple positions.

He has experience next to NBA-level creators. Jones spent three seasons playing next to now-New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek, one of the best pblockers in college basketball across the last few seasons. Jones shot better from three-point range those seasons – he is prepared for off-ball responsibilities, but he can be a creator himself.

“I think it’s great to just be dynamic. It adds a layer to his game and to the team,” Pacers summer league head coach Isaac Yacob said of Jones’ versatility.

“Having to have the ball in my hands really gave me a bunch of reps being at point guard. It really helped me game. Being a little flexibile, can do either/or,” Jones added of those roles.

What kind of contract did the Pacers sign Jones to?

The skill and versatility combination attracted the Pacers to Jones. The team put their money where their mouth is earlier this week, signing Jones to a standard contract. It’s a multi-year agreement that became possible because of the second-round pick exception.

The contract is only fully guaranteed in the first season, and that year comes in at the NBA’s rookie minimum value – just under $1.3 million. The second season of the deal is also as low as it could possibly be in terms of base salary, then the third and fourth years come at a standard value because of the exception used to sign Jones.

In total, the four-year agreement comes with a maximum total value of about $8.7 million. The second season of the contract is partially guaranteed, then the last two years and filled with options and non-guaranteed money. It’s a rare deal in that not a ton of guaranteed money has been committed by the Pacers for a player on a four-year standard deal.

In fact, Jones is top 2025 draft pick who didn’t get the first two years of his contract fully guaranteed. Every first-round pick earns a rookie-scale contract, and the first two seasons of those agreements are guaranteed by default. Second-round picks don’t have to be, but selections 31 through 37 all received fully guaratneed money across the first two seasons of their deal, according to various reports. Jones only has one fully guaranteed season, and his contract comes with only $2.3 million guaranteed.

Of course, Jones could make much more than that. If he plays well – and the Pacers clearly believe he can or they woudn’t have picked him – he could make up to the full $8.7 million. But he has about $1 million less guaranteed to him than the seven players picked in the second round above him. It’s a good deal for the Pacers.

Part of the appeal of Jones for the Pacers was the rookie minimum being lower than the veteran’s minimum. When Indiana was projecting to be a luxury tax team – prior to Myles Turner’s departure – those smaller deals would have been helpful. They still will be, of course, but in a different way. The Pacers have more flexibility to use salary cap exceptions this season with Jones on a smaller contract.

He’ll make his debut for the blue and gold during summer league play in Las Vegas. “I’m impressed with, he fits in with the group well,” Yacob said. “Basketball IQ, he’s been able to pick things up and retain it and implement it into live play very quickly.”

Jones, 23, is presently dealing with a hamstring injury that Pritchard outlined earlier this week. But the team is excited about him, and they were able to both draft him and secure his services on a team-friendly deal.

“I’m right where I want to be man,” Jones said of being with the Pacers. “I think I’m the epitome of that. Just being with a team, being with a group of guys that just want to win and put their teammates before themselves.”