Indiana Pacers center Isaiah Jackson entering season without contract extension

Jackson is the backup center for the Pacers

Sep 30, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson (22) poses for a photo during 2024 Media day. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers will enter the 2024-25 season without a rookie-scale contract extension agreement with center Isaiah Jackson.

The Pacers and Jackson had a 6 p.m. Eastern Time deadline to extend Jackson's contract beyond the 2024-25 season, but a league source told Pacers On SI that no contract extension was signed. Jackson is entering the fourth and final season of his rookie-scale contract that he has been playing on since being drafted in 2021, and his cap hit is $2.7 million for the coming season.

Jackson averaged 6.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last season. He played in 59 games, though many of them were only garbage time appearances with Jalen Smith also on the team getting bench center opportunities. With Smith now in Chicago with the Bulls, Jackson projects to be Indiana's full-time backup five.

"His athleticism speaks for itself. He makes up for a lot of stuff that way, and he just plays hard man," Pacers center Myles Turner said of Jackson. "He's one of those guys that, he's stronger than he looks."

Jackson was eligible for an extension that could have been up to five years in length and up to $224 million in total — technically more if he received escalators in his contract that are available with rookie scale extensions. Of course, the three-year pro isn't worth nearly that much money, but any new deal that fits within those years and dollars would have been legal.

In recent years, the Pacers have agreed to rookie-scale contract extensions with Tyrese Haliburton, Aaron Nesmith, Domantas Sabonis, and Turner. When the timing is right, deals have made sense in the Circle City. Unfortunately for Jackson, this timing was wrong. He hasn't yet had a full season as a backup five, and Indiana is going to have luxury tax considerations next season. Adding more guaranteed money on the books in 2025-26 would have been tough for the blue and gold.

It's possible Jackson still sticks around in the future, though. Turner's contract expires after this season, and the Pacers can make Jackson a restricted free agent by sending him a qualifying offer next offseason. That would be a one year, $6.4 million offer and would give Indiana the right of first refusal in free agency. Jake Fischer, a league insider who previously worked at Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report, reported that there was "some optimism" about a Jackson extension in Indiana.

Jackson is confident heading into his fourth campaign and is showing a willingness to take jump shots. He averaged 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game during the preseason.

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