The Indiana Pacers are having trouble with their center depth. James Wiseman tore his Achilles in his first game for the Pacers, The Pacers are clearly lacking size with Isaiah Jackson also out with a torn Achilles and Myles Turner dealing with a calf injury. To add some size to their hurting roster, the Pacers signed 7-foot-2 free agent Moses Brown. Initially reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Moses Brown contract comes as the Pacers attempt to increase size to support the full Pacers injury report.
Pacers Sign 7-Footer After Myles Turner Injury
The Pacers Need Some More Size, Enter Moses Brown
After injuries to Wiseman, Jackson, and Turner, the Pacers were in desperate need of some size down low. With only one open roster spot, Indiana chose to sign Brown, a journeyman with prior NBA and G League experience.
Brown is 25 years old and has played for six NBA teams. He has played 150 games in the NBA thus far in his career. Last season, he appeared in 22 games for the Portland Trail Blazers. His best season came with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2020-21, when he averaged 8.6 points and 8.9 rebounds over 43 games. These were the best stats for Brown thus far in his career.
The Brown contract is non-guaranteed.
He will earn $13,939 for every day he is on the roster.
Indiana was $2.52M below the luxury tax before the signing. https://t.co/DRmLFLDKrf
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) November 19, 2024
This season, Brown has been playing well in the G League, averaging 18.5 points and 13.8 rebounds in four games for the Westchester Knicks. Over his G League career, he has averages of 15.2 points and ten rebounds in 52 games.
Brown was not available for Monday’s game against the Toronto Raptors. However, he will hopefully be ready in time for the Pacers’ matchup against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
The Pacers Injury Report is Full
Brown brings much-needed size, rebounding, and rim protection to the Pacers’ rotation. Standing at 7-foot-2 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Brown offers a valuable interior presence, particularly in defensive and rebounding situations. If Turner ends up missing more than just a game or two, this will be essential. Even with Turner in the lineup, having a 7-footer as a backup will be helpful as well.
The Pacers injury report isn’t just big men either. They are missing two key players, Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard. Without Turner, Jackson, Wiseman, Nembhard, and Nesmith, there is a lot of production that needs to be made up for. Brown has a unique opportunity to come in and fill the last roster spot while not just being a piece on the end of the bench.
Moses Brown Contract Details
Brown’s contract with the Pacers is non-guaranteed, earning him $13,939 per day while on the roster, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. This flexible arrangement allows the Pacers to assess Brown’s fit while they determine how long Turner may be out. They also want to see how Brown’s game gels with their system, as the last time he played NBA minutes, it was in meaningless games for the tanking Trail Blazers.
If Brown steps up and helps the Pacers stay afloat during this early part of the season, he could find himself with a guaranteed NBA contract.
