Isaiah Jackson returning to Indiana Pacers on three-year deal

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Jun 4, 2025; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson (22) during NBA Finals Media Day at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

After being a part of the Pacers’ run to the 2025 NBA Finals, Isaiah Jackson is sticking around in Indianapolis.

The Pacers announced Friday afternoon that Jackson has agreed to a contract that will keep him with the team that drafted him in the first round back in 2021. ESPN’s Shams Charania reports it as a three-year deal worth $21 million, locking him in with the franchise through the 2028-29 season.

While Jackson was with the team during its historic postseason earlier this year, he was not able to contribute on the floor. The 6-foot-10 big man suffered a torn Achilles in early November that kept him out for nearly all of the 2024-25 season. But he’s expected to be fully healthy for the start of next season and could play a significant role in what is projected to be a down year for the Pacers.

contract signed and Isaiah Jackson is right back to work 💪 pic.twitter.com/AQuZY932oz
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) July 11, 2025

Jackson looked like his usual self in five games of action last season before going down with his injury. The former Kentucky Wildcat averaged seven points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 16.8 minutes per outing while shooting 60.9 percent from the field. Those numbers weren’t far off from what he averaged during his first three seasons in Indiana: 7.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 14.9 minutes per contest on 59.4 percent shooting across 158 games played.

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Still only 23 years old, Jackson will fill a massive void in the Pacers’ frontcourt that was created in the wake of Myles Turner’s surprising signing with the Milwaukee Bucks. Indiana will also miss All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton for most, if not all, of the 2025-26 season after he suffered a torn Achilles of his own in Game 7 of the Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacers also re-signed James Wiseman (who also tore his Achilles last season) and traded for Jay Huff to help boost the big man depth, but Jackson will likely jump them in the rotation.

Jackson was a one-and-done during his lone college season at Kentucky in 2020-21, which saw the Wildcats post a historically poor 9-16 overall record. Even still, he was productive, averaging 8.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in 20.8 minutes per game, which was enough for the Pacers to take a chance on him with the 22nd overall pick in 2021.

Four years later, the Indiana front office still believes in what Jackson brings to the table. He’ll have the chance to prove them right in an expanded role this coming season.