Pacers guard Edmond Sumner, who has spent the last two seasons on a two-way contract with the team, is receiving a promotion to the 15-man roster, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, Sumner has agreed to a standard contract with Indiana that will cover the rest of 2018/19, with a team option for 2019/20. The Pacers have confirmed the signing in a press release.
Sumner, a Xavier alum, hasn’t played a whole lot for the Pacers since being selected with the 52nd pick in the 2017 draft. Appearing in 18 NBA games, he has averaged 2.4 PPG in just 9.4 minutes per contest.
However, the 6’6″ guard enjoyed a breakout year this season for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the G League, averaging 23.9 PPG on .500/.400/.744 shooting in 17 NBAGL games. That performance has earned him a spot in the Pacers’ rotation over the last couple weeks — Sumner has played in Indiana’s last eight games since Victor Oladipo went down, averaging 16.6 minutes per game.
The Pacers, who entered trade deadline week with one open roster spot, shuffled things around by waiving Ike Anigbogu, acquiring and waiving Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin, then signing Wesley Matthews. That series of moves still left Indiana with an opening on its 15-man roster, so Sumner will fill that opening, leaving Davon Reed as the Pacers’ lone two-way player.
As for Sumner’s contract, it will certainly be a minimum salary deal. It’s not clear whether his second year will be an actual team option or simply a non-guaranteed salary — if it’s an option, the Pacers will have to make a decision on it by the end of June, but if it’s a non-guaranteed salary, the club may not need to make a call on Sumner until later in the offseason, or even during the 2019/20 season.
Sumner looks to be back 100%. He is the most athletic player the Pacers have.
If Sumner can stay healthy, he could turn into a star in this league.