Malcolm Brogdon signs two-year contract extension with the Indiana Pacers

On Monday afternoon, the Indiana Pacers announced that they’ve signed former Virginia Cavalier Malcolm Brogdon to a two-year contract extension. As Brogdon is two years into what was originally a four-year deal, he’s signed through the end of the 2024-2025 season.

This comes off the back of a career-best season for the sixth-year guard as he put up 21.2 points, dished out 5.9 assists, and grabbed 5.3 rebounds per game. He also shot much better than his first year in Indiana, finishing the year at 38.8% from deep on a career-high 6.7 attempts per game and 49.3% from two-point range on 10.8 shots per contest.

The contract extension will reportedly be worth $45 million which would be a slight raise for Brogdon who will make — on average — $22.5 million in the last two years of his deal compared to $20 million in 2020, $20.7 million in 2021, and will make an average of $22.15 million in the last two years of his original deal.

This is a clear statement of intent from the Pacers to keep Brogdon around as a leader of the organization for years to come. Despite rumors that he could be dealt as part of a trade for Ben Simmons, this deal means Brogdon won’t be eligible to be traded until next offseason which implies Indiana’s commitment to the Atlanta native.

For Brogdon, this contract provides career security as he’s now signed with guaranteed money until the age of 32. Of course, this means he won’t hit free agency until he’s likely out of his prime at the earliest, but he’s now cashed in on his first two impressive seasons in Indiana playing point guard and leading an organization.

In a statement released by the Pacers, President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard praised how “Malcolm has established himself as a very important part of our organization, not only with his performance on the court but also by the character he displays beyond it.”

Pritchard also emphasized how Brogdon “has become on of our undisputed leaders — continually supporting his teammates and setting them up for success — while also demonstrating the drive, dedication, and work ethic necessary to establish himself as one of the premier guards in the NBA.”

Brogdon is undoubtedly the most successful NBA player of the Tony Bennett era and — by the end of his career — could be the most successful of all the Virginia Cavaliers to ever play in the league. This contract extension is just additional evidence of the program’s growing ability of producing successful players at the next level.

With another former Wahoo Rick Carlisle taking over as the head coach of the Pacers on a four-year deal, it will be fascinating to see how this coalition of Cavaliers fare in Indiana for years to come.