Just over a year after announcing his retirement from professional basketball to pursue coaching, Kyle Guy is suddenly back in the NBA orbit. The 2019 NCAA champion and former Virginia star has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Indiana Pacers, a move that came about in the most unlikely way: a pickup game during a recruiting trip.
Guy, who had been serving as an assistant coach at the University of Nevada, was in his hometown of Indianapolis on September 21 for a recruiting visit. While there, he suited up in a local run, more for fun than anything else. But when a clip of his performance was uploaded the next day, showing him lighting up defenders with the same silky jumper that made him a March Madness legend, it quickly went viral.
UVA legend and NBA talent Kyle Guy made his TNC debut in Indianapolis and went BERSERK. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/H4SVqwcREv
— The Next Chapter (@Next22Chapter) September 25, 2025
The video caught the attention of the Pacers, who were already in the market for backcourt depth following injuries in training camp. Within days, the team reached out and offered Guy an Exhibit 10 deal, giving him a chance to compete in camp and potentially join their G League affiliate in Noblesville.
For Guy, it’s a stunning twist in a career that has already taken him from NCAA glory to the NBA, then overseas, and finally into coaching. Drafted 55th overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2019, he appeared in 53 NBA games with the Kings and Miami Heat before heading to Europe, where he played in Greece and Spain. After announcing his retirement in 2024, he transitioned into coaching, first at Virginia and then at Nevada under Steve Alford.
Now, at 28, he’s back where it all began: Indiana. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Guy was named the state’s Mr. Basketball in 2016 before becoming a household name at Virginia, where he led the Cavaliers to the 2019 national title and was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
The Exhibit 10 contract doesn’t guarantee him a roster spot, but it does give him a platform to prove he still belongs. If he sticks with the Pacers’ G League affiliate for at least 60 days, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,000. More importantly, it’s a chance to show that his shooting and scoring instincts remain NBA-caliber.
For Pacers fans, the signing is more than just a roster move. It’s a feel-good story about a hometown kid who thought his playing days were behind him, only to find himself pulled back into the game by sheer talent and opportunity.
As Guy himself once said during his Virginia days, “Shooters shoot.” And now, thanks to one viral clip, he’ll get another chance to do it on basketball’s biggest stage.
