Braden Smith Makes NBA Debut With the Pacers

Purdue basketball alum Braden Smith makes NBA debut with the Pacers.

Braden Smith, the former Purdue Boilermakers guard, stepped onto an NBA floor for the first time this week.

He did it as a member of the Indiana Pacers.

Smith made his debut on Nov. 3, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The opponent was the Atlanta Hawks.

Smith recorded 19 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals in that game.

It was a complete stat line for a rookie in his first NBA appearance.

Just last night, Smith played against the Memphis Grizzlies.

He scored ten points in that contest.

Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle spoke about Smith during a press conference this week.

Carlisle called the rookie "inspiring."

Smith entered the league as an undrafted free agent.

He signed a two-way contract with the Pacers after going unselected in the 2026 NBA Draft.

A two-way contract allows a player to split time between the NBA team and its G League affiliate.

For the Pacers, that affiliate is the Indiana Mad Ants.

Smith played four seasons at Purdue under head coach Matt Painter.

He was a four-year starter for the Boilermakers.

During his senior season, Smith averaged 15.2 points, 8.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game.

He led Purdue to a Big Ten regular-season championship.

Smith was named first-team All-Big Ten as a senior.

He finished his college career ranked second in Purdue history in total assists.

Only former Boilermaker and current NBA guard Carsen Edwards had more.

Smith's debut came at a critical moment for the Pacers.

The team was dealing with a wave of injuries.

Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers' All-Star point guard, was diagnosed with a mild hamstring strain.

Haliburton is expected to miss at least two weeks.

His status moving forward is week-to-week.

Ben Sheppard underwent successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus.

Carlisle said on his weekly radio segment that he is unsure if Sheppard will return this season.

Obi Toppin missed a game due to a back issue that flared up during a team walkthrough.

Before the game against the Hawks, Carlisle shared that only seven players were healthy enough to play.

Ten players were listed as out on the injury report.

Then, moments before tipoff, Kelly Oubre Jr. hurt his knee.

Oubre had been one of the seven healthy players.

That left the Pacers with just six available players.

Those six players were: center Aaron Holiday, forward Isaiah Jackson, guard Jarace Walker, and three two-way players — guard Braden Smith, forward Kendall Brown and forward Javan Slawson.

Carlisle and the coaching staff referred to them as the "Super Six."

The Super Six poured "blood, sweat and tears" into the game, according to Carlisle.

They fell short, losing 108-104.

But the effort was notable.

Smith played significant minutes in that game.

He was on the floor during critical stretches of the fourth quarter.

His stat line of 19 points and 10 assists showed he could handle NBA-level pressure.

The Pacers had opened the season with a 2-2 record in their first week.

Week two was worse.

They went winless in four matchups.

Before their nationally televised game against LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers, the Pacers announced Haliburton's injury.

The Pacers rallied for a gritty effort against the 76ers.

They lost 114-109.

Philadelphia guard Tyrese Maxey scored 17 of the 76ers' 39 fourth-quarter points.

The Pacers then traveled to Miami.

No new players were listed on the injury report before that game.

But Toppin's back issue flared up during the team's walkthrough on Friday.

He missed the game.

The Miami Heat were at full strength.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo led the way for the Heat.

The Heat defeated the Pacers 145-125.

Hoping to snap a three-game losing streak, the Pacers hosted the winless Brooklyn Nets on Sunday evening.

The Pacers' high-powered offense from the Miami game did not travel home with them.

The game turned into a defensive struggle.

The Nets won 98-90.

Both teams struggled to shoot.

The good news was that no new players were added to the injury report.

Toppin remained out.

Then came Monday evening against the Hawks.

The injury report that had looked clean was now full of names.

Only seven players were available before Oubre's injury.

After Oubre went down, it became six.

Smith is expected to continue seeing playing time while Haliburton is out.

The Pacers have not announced a timeline for Haliburton's return beyond the two-week minimum.

Smith's two-way contract limits him to 50 NBA games in a season.

He cannot appear in the playoffs on a two-way deal unless the Pacers convert his contract to a standard NBA deal.

The Pacers have not indicated whether they plan to sign Smith to a standard contract.