Pacers sign Tshiebwe, Wong to two-way contracts

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Practice continued Monday for the Indiana Pacers summer league team ahead of the first game Saturday in Las Vegas.

The rookies get five games in Sin City to prove themselves. Among them is former unanimous National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe.

The Blue and Gold officially signed the former Kentucky star to a two-way contract Monday. The Pacers will share sharing him with the G League Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the coming season.

The big man went undrafted in 2023 after two All-American seasons as a Wildcat. He’s one of eight bigs already on the Pacers roster.

Tshiebwe says he’s ready to battle and show he belongs.

“It is God’s plan, so now I’ve got to come and fight for it. I’ve got to come in and I know it’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be given to me. I’ve got to come in and fight. For me here, I’m running into something similar to Kentucky, but this is just a different level. Going against NBA players, going against a lot of the best players, but I’m still fighting. You can ask them, ‘How’s Oscar today? That boy was a beast.’ That’s one thing I do is fight. I don’t take anything for granted and I don’t like to be given things for free to me. You’ve just got to let me go get it.”

The Pacers also announced Monday afternoon the team had signed guard Isaiah Wong to a two-way contract.

The Miami (Florida) player was selected by the Pacers in the NBA draft as the overall 55th pick in the second round. In March, Wong and Jordan Miller led a decisive second-half spurt for Miami, which beat Indiana 85-69 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to reach its second straight Sweet 16.