Apr 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Knicks guard Delon Wright (0) reacts after making a three point shot against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Pacers' Roster Move Proves Experience is Still Critical in the NBA

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Sep 27, 2025 8:09 PM ET

The Indiana Pacers didn’t do anything extraordinary by adding a seasoned veteran to their roster on Saturday. They simply proved that experience still matters.

The reigning Eastern Conference Champions made a roster move by adding Delon Wright to the team. They announced that their follow-up move to make room was to waive Samson Johnson.

With Wright, the Pacers get a 10-year veteran in the building. He replaces a 23-year-old undrafted prospect out of UConn, who was set to make his NBA preseason debut if all went right.

We have signed guard Delon Wright to a training camp contract.

https://t.co/eXe7C2EIxa pic.twitter.com/PRFJd4Uhjd
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) September 27, 2025

Experience matters. Wright brings just that to the table.

After a stint at Utah in the NCAA, Wright was drafted to the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft. He was the 20th overall pick that year.

During his rookie season, Wright appeared in just 27 games, averaging 8.5 minutes of action. Although he appeared in the same number of games for his sophomore effort, Wright saw his playing time increase to 16.5 minutes per game.

After seeing the court more than ever during his third year in Toronto, it seemed Wright was finally starting to find his fit with the Raptors. Then along came the 2019 trade deadline. The Raptors moved Wright to the Memphis Grizzlies in their deal for Marc Gasol.

Since that first stint in the NBA, Wright has had a hard to finding a team to stick with, but he’s been around plenty.

There were stints with the Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, and the New York Knicks. Last season, Wright split time with the Bucks and the Knicks.

Back in July 2024, Wright signed a one-year deal with the Bucks. He appeared in 26 games, averaging roughly 15 minutes of playing time. As a result, he averaged 2.5 points per game, along with 1.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

In February, the Bucks sent Wright to the Knicks in a multi-year trade. He finished the season with 14 games played, with an average of 16.4 minutes. He produced 4.3 points per game while dishing out 2.1 assists per game. Amid the Knicks’ playoff run, Wright made six appearances with eight minutes of action. He didn’t have much of an on-court impact.

The Pacers are looking to patch up their backcourt in the absence of an injured Tyrese Haliburton. Wright is far from a guarantee to make the roster, as his new deal is a training camp contract. He lands in Indiana with nearly 600 games of experience and seven playoff runs.