Indiana Pacers Rookie Watch - Kam Jones

While a lot of teams may not value second-round draft picks as much as first-rounders who have “potential,” a number of them come better prepared for the NBA than most assume, as they have spent time maturing in the college game. 

The Indiana Pacers, a team facing a forced retooling after star guard Tyrese Haliburton went down with a season-altering injury during last year’s playoffs and the loss of Myles Turner to the Milwaukee Bucks, may have found a player who flew under the radar. After finishing his senior season with the Marquette Golden Eagles, 23-year-old combo guard Kam Jones could find his way into the Pacers' rotation early this season. 

As the Golden Eagles' leading scorer in each of his last three years, Jones finished his final college season averaging 19.2 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds. A dual-threat combo guard, Jones’ crafty offensive skills and scoring ability caught the attention of Pacers scouts, who saw him as more than a typical developmental prospect when they selected him with the 38th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. 

With Haliburton out for the entire 2025-26 season after tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Jones could find himself jumping up the Pacers depth chart. On a team looking to fill the void left by their All-NBA point guard, coach Rick Carlisle will likely use a committee of guards to help facilitate the offense. Having a steady and established ball handler who averaged 5.9 assists last season will help address the Pacers’ playmaking needs. At the same time, his shooting ability (47% from the field, 36% from three-point territory) provides valuable spacing off the bench.

Jones will likely compete for minutes behind T.J. McConnell and Andrew Nembhard, pushing Ben Sheppard and Quenton Jackson for playing time. Averaging 13-16 minutes with the second unit and 6-8 points and 3-4 assists is a reasonable first-season stat line for the rookie. For a rookie who many expected to spend his first year developing, Jones now finds himself with an opportunity to prove that second-round steals can make an impact.