Former Purdue star Braden Smith has no plans to return to the Boilermakers for a fifth college season, his agents at Priority Sports tell Isaac Trotter of CBS Sports. The Pacers acquired the 6’0″ point guard’s draft rights from Chicago after he was selected 38th overall in June.
A federal judge in Denver recently ruled that four-year college players from the high school class of 2022 are eligible for a fifth season in 2026/27. That ruling is expected to be appealed, so a reversal is a possibility. But for now, a handful of unsigned second-round picks technically have the option to essentially become domestic draft-and-stash prospects.
The temporary injunction applies to Smith, Tyler Nickel (Knicks), Dillon Mitchell (Celtics), Richie Saunders (Grizzlies) and Lajae Jones (Warriors). While Smith’s illustrious college career has come to an end, Trotter hears Nickel and Mitchell are “expected to explore their college options.”
Adam Zagoria reported earlier on Monday that a potential Mitchell return to St. John’s was “being considered.”
Reporting on draft night indicated that Indiana intended to sign Smith to a two-way contract, but that plan has been complicated by the fact that the Pacers have three two-way players it likes: Ethan Thompson, Jalen Slawson, and Kobe Brown. Indiana may have to decide between signing Smith to a standard contract to fill the final spot on the 15-man roster or waiving Thompson (or another two-way player) to open up a two-way slot for him.
Smith is hoping to land a guaranteed standard deal from Indiana rather than a two-way contract, according to Trotter. That’s certainly understandable, as two-way deals are non-guaranteed and worth half the rookie minimum.
The 23-year-old spent all four of his college seasons with the Boilermakers and earned numerous awards, including spots on the consensus All-America first team as both a junior and senior. Smith became the NCAA’s all-time leader in assists for men’s basketball in 2025/26, passing Bobby Hurley.