Braden Smith 'cult' has chance to grow with Pacers at NBA Summer League

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The Indiana Pacers traded up in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft to select point guard Braden Smith out of Purdue.

Smith's chance to begin impressing starts this week at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

When the season rolls around, Tyrese Haliburton will run the show for the Pacers. Smith will have to scrap for minutes.

But this summer, it'll be Smith pulling all the strings for the Pacers.

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Considering he set the NCAA's all-time assists record, it's safe to think Smith can make a few good things happen on the court in Vegas, too.

"Don't be surprised if Smith quickly cultivates a cult following among summer league die-hards," ESPN's Ben Golliver wrote in a new article this week. "The feisty 22-year-old guard is an Indiana native and four-year starter at Purdue who landed with the Pacers as a 2026 second-round pick."

There will be questions surrounding Smith. At his size, for example, how well does he defend?

Is he able to not just pass but also score the ball against NBA defenses?

How can he fit in Indiana behind a true point guard like Haliburton?

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But for at least a little while, Smith will get the chance to show his full skillset.

"Smith is small by NBA standards (5-10, 167 pounds), but he dished 1,103 assists at Purdue to unseat Duke's Bobby Hurley as the NCAA's all-time leader," Golliver writes. "Minutes will be hard to come by on the Pacers once franchise guard Tyrese Haliburton returns from an Achilles injury, so be sure to savor Smith's old-school floor generalship in Las Vegas."

It'll definitely be worth tuning into a few Pacers games this summer just to see how in control Smith is out on the floor.