Indiana Pacers Sign Trevelin Queen To Two-Way Contract

The Indiana Pacers announced on Tuesday that they have signed guard/forward Trevelin Queen to a two-way contract.

Queen, a 25-year old with one prior year of NBA experience, came to Indiana just two days after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers in training camp. The Sixers had to sort out a roster size crunch, and Queen was the first casualty after getting injured early in the preseason. Once he cleared waivers on Tuesday, the Pacers scooped him up.

“He can score. He’s a dynamic scorer. He’s a bucket getter, to be perfectly straight about it,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Queen. “It’s an opportunity for us to get a young kid that’s talented.”

Queen went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft after attending New Mexico State. He latched on with the Houston Rockets for training camp that year, but he was waived before the season. He spent all of his first campaign and the early portions of his second in the G League.

During his second professional season, the Rockets signed Queen to a two-way contract. He played in ten games for Houston as a rookie, averaging 4.3 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. Despite some general struggles, Queen impressed with his scoring ability, using his athleticism to create looks for himself.

The 25-year old took off in the G League during his second season. With the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Queen averaged 25.3 points per game during the regular season and put up solid rebounding and assist numbers. He did a little bit of everything, and his play was a big part of the Vipers’ successful season.

Rio Grande Valley went on to win the G League title that season, and Queen’s abilities played a major part in the championship run. He was named the 2021-22 G League MVP for his efforts.

Now, he brings his athleticism and scoring to the Pacers. Indiana has stated their desire to add athletes and shooters to their new-look team, and Queen can be both with some small improvements to his outside shot.

Queen adds depth at the two and three spots for the Pacers. While the youngster may be better suited as a two than a three, he is still tall enough to play on the wing, and the blue and gold desperately need depth at that position.

On a two-way deal, Queen will split time between the Pacers and their G League affiliate franchise — the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. The Pacers have done well developing talent on two-way deals in recent seasons, and Queen will hope to continue that trend.

The six-foot-six-inch guard will make just over $500k on the two-way deal, exactly half of the NBA minimum salary. He received $330k from Philadelphia on his deal for this season, so the guard will make roughly $830k this year if he finishes the season on his current two-way deal.

Carlisle explained that it is unlikely Queen plays in the preseason for the Pacers as he recovers from a head injury and gets acclimated with a new franchise. He was in attendance for Indiana’s home preseason opener versus the Knicks on Wednesday.

Queen adds to the Pacers long list of players 25 years old or younger. The team is entering a new era and is in a building year with several inexperienced players. They are hoping to ascend into the upper tier of the Eastern Conference in future seasons.

Each NBA team is permitted to use a pair of two-way contract slots. Queen joins Kendall Brown as the Pacers two-way contract players. They will develop this season by splitting time between Indiana and Fort Wayne.

The Pacers roster now stands at 19 players. The offseason maximum a team can carry is 20, so Indiana could technically add another player if they are so inclined. However, the deadline to get their roster down to 15 standard players plus two two-way players is early next week, so the Pacers may opt to keep their roster as is until cuts are necessary. Indiana finalizes preseason play on Friday versus Queen’s old team, the Houston Rockets.