The Pacers announced today in a press release that they have exercised their rookie scale club options on wings Bennedict Mathurin and big man Isaiah Jackson, guaranteeing a pair of contracts for the 2024–25 season.
Mathurin, who was selected sixth overall in the 2022 selection, earned the All-Rookie first team this spring after averaging 16.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 28.5 minutes per game. After sitting out 61 of his 78 games last season, the 21-year-old seems certain to start every game this autumn.
The $6.92MM compensation for Mathurin’s next season was already secured. His $7.25MM cap hit for the ’24/25 season is also fixed as a consequence of the option pick-up. In one year, Indiana will have to decide whether to activate his $9.19MM option for 2025–2026.
Jackson, the 22nd overall selection in the 2021 draft, has played in 99 games throughout the course of his two seasons with the Pacers, appearing in 99 games and averaging 7.6 PPG and 4.4 RPG in 16.0 MPG. This season, he will compete with Daniel Theis and Jalen Smith for the backup center minutes to Myles Turner.
Jackson’s 2024/25 club option has been exercised, and he will now get a guaranteed salary of almost $4.44MM. As he reaches the last year of his rookie agreement in July of next year, he will be qualified for a rookie scale extension.
