The Pacers are moving to add frontcourt depth, but the deal may come with a catch. Indiana has agreed to sign Larry Nance Jr. to a one-year contract, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, though the reported $4MM figure appears to be rounded up.
Tony East of Circle City Spin reported that Nance is actually set for a minimum-salary contract, worth roughly $3.88MM, with Indiana carrying a cap hit of about $2.45MM. That makes the signing cheaper than the initial report suggested, but it does not make the roster math any easier for the Pacers.
Why Nance Matters
Nance is a proven veteran who has spent 11 seasons in the NBA and appeared in 581 regular season games for five teams since being selected 27th overall in 2015. He has long been a steady frontcourt rotation option, and Indiana’s interest suggests the team still sees value in his experience and versatility.
Health has limited that value in recent seasons. Nance played only 59 games over the last two years with Atlanta and Cleveland, and his most recent campaign was disrupted by hand and knee injuries before a calf strain cost him nearly six weeks in the first half of the season.
A Thin Margin Under The First Apron
Even after returning, Nance had a muted role with the Cavaliers. Across 35 appearances, he posted career lows in points at 3.7, rebounds at 2.7, minutes at 12.8, and field goal percentage at 41.9%.
The bigger issue for Indiana is cap space. Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron notes that the Pacers are too close to their first-apron hard cap to add another standard contract right now, so they would need a trade or a cut unless Nance is signing a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal.
That possibility creates an immediate roster squeeze. Micah Potter is on a non-guaranteed minimum contract for 2026/27, while Quenton Jackson has only a $275K partial guarantee for another week, leaving one of them as the most likely candidate to be moved out if Indiana needs room.
The signing signals confidence in Nance’s ability to contribute again, but the final roster move will determine whether the Pacers have made a straightforward addition or a more complicated one. For now, the contract structure remains the key detail to watch.