​INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers plan to waive center Micah Potter, creating an open roster spot and adding financial flexibility. After signing wing Kelly Oubre with the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception, the Pacers are now hard capped at the first salary cap apron, meaning their total team salary cannot exceed $209.015 million during the 2026-27 season. Following the Oubre signing, the Pacers’ total roster cost plus incentives sat at $207.13 million, leaving less than $2 million of room available for additional team salary.
Earlier on Wednesday, Indiana agreed to terms with veteran center Larry Nance Jr., whose minimum contract would carry a cap hit of $2.45 million. To bring in the 33-year-old, the Pacers needed another move to reduce their total team salary. Trades and waivers are the only avenues to lower that $207 million figure, but trades require an agreement with another club. Waivers can be processed internally, and that is the route the Pacers are pursuing. Potter’s 2026-27 contract was entirely non-guaranteed at just over $2.8 million, so waiving him would create no cap hit and free up that much spending power for the front office.
Potter had been productive for Indiana last season, averaging 9.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, with solid shooting for a center and notable mobility at the five. It marked his best season and his most substantial contract to date. Yet, at best, he was competing with Jay Huff for the Pacers’ backup center role heading into the new season, needing to prove himself during the summer if he remained in the mix. Indiana, however, is moving on due to salary-cap realities.
The Pacers picked up a team option in Potter’s contract late in the previous month, a prudent choice given the lack of guaranteed money in his deal. Potter himself indicated little contemplation of free agency, saying shortly after the season ended, “Nope… I’m just taking things one day at a time. I learned that the hard way last year. Just one day at a time.” Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard had, at one point during the offseason, suggested a potential competition between Potter and Huff for the backup center role. That discussion preceded the hard-cap reality and altered the calculus surrounding Potter’s non-guaranteed contract, making it a different consideration altogether. Then, roughly a week before free agency opened, general manager Chad Buchanan hinted at possible additional frontcourt help.
With Nance joining the fold as a center, the Pacers’ center situation includes Huff, Zubac, and versatile options at the position, alongside smaller-ball lineups featuring players like Obi Toppin and Johnny Furphy. The team’s shifting financial and strategic priorities reflect a broader plan to balance cap compliance with roster depth as they position themselves for the 2026-27 campaign.