In a no-brainer of a move, the Indiana Pacers held on to young forward Oshae Brissett on Saturday, meaning his contract is now fully guaranteed for the rest of the season.
Had the Pacers decided to move on from Brissett, they could have waived him on Saturday before 5 pm Eastern Time for some cap relief and to free up a roster spot. But there is no better use of money or roster space than a young, talented forward like Brissett. It was clear that he was going to stick with the Pacers.
"I haven't thought about it. I don't really think about those things," Brissett said of his contract on Saturday. "I'm just happy to be here and focused on winning games."
The 24-year old forward is in his third season with Indiana. He led the team in games played in 2021-22 and finished second on the team in total minutes. This year, he has played in 35 games off the bench and is averaging 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
Brissett is one of the Pacers only players who is naturally a forward, and that makes the team threatening on defense when he is in the game. Indiana has a +2.23 net rating with the Canadian forward on the court this season, per pbpstats, a strong mark for a reserve.
"I like getting out in transition, I like getting out and running the way that we run," Brissett said of his role on the Pacers this year. Indiana ranks seventh in the league in pace.
Brissett will make $1.85 million this season, a bargian for an effective rotation player. He is in the final season of the three-year deal and will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Pacers forward James Johnson also was not waived on Saturday, meaning his contract is fully guaranteed as well. Indiana's roster stands at the maximum 17 players.
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