Eastern Notes: Hawks, Embiid, McConnell, Robinson, Ball
Trae Young is currently on the shelf with a strained MCL, while Kristaps Porzingis isn’t yet producing at his usual level, but the Hawks have picked up back-to-back wins due in large part to big games from unlikely sources.
As Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, third-year forward Mouhamed Gueye came up big in Saturday’s victory over the Lakers, scoring a career-high 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting while also contributing seven rebounds and seven assists. It was a career night for Gueye, who was making his second start of the season with several regulars – including Porzingis and Jalen Johnson – sidelined.
“He’s been hungry,” head coach Quin Snyder said after the game. “He wants to get better. He’s putting the time in games, like tonight, he gets even more opportunity to do that, obviously, on the floor.”
Gueye had a quiet night off the bench on Monday vs. the Clippers, but fellow reserve Vit Krejci set his own career high in points (28), as well as three-pointers, knocking down 8-of-10 tries from beyond the arc. As Williams details, Krejci’s hot shooting helped fuel Atlanta’s comeback, and his banked-in three-pointer to beat the shot clock with 36 seconds left in the fourth quarter helped seal the win (video link).
Both Gueye and Krejci are on multiyear minimum-salary contracts, so the Hawks have the ability to retain them on team-friendly deals beyond this season.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Sixers center Joel Embiid has been ruled out of Tuesday’s contest vs. Boston due to right knee soreness, the team announced today (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports). It’s Embiid’s first non-scheduled absence so far this season, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic. It’s also worth noting that it’s not the knee that has been a recurring issue for the big man in recent years — Embiid underwent surgery on his left knee in the spring. He’s being evaluated further by team doctors, per the Sixers.
- Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell, who was said over the weekend to be “getting closer” to making his season debut, has been upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s game in Utah, according to the team (Twitter link). McConnell has yet to play this fall due to a left hamstring strain, but his return appears to be imminent — if he’s unable to suit up against the Jazz, the veteran’s next opportunity to play would be on Thursday in Phoenix.
- Mitchell Robinson has played sparingly so far this season, suiting up for just four of the Knicks‘ first nine games as the team carefully manages his workload. However, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes, Robinson has made the most of his limited role, grabbing nine offensive rebounds in 16 minutes vs. Minnesota last Wednesday, then finishing as a remarkable +40 in less than 17 minutes of action against Brooklyn on Sunday. “I don’t really fall into the plus-minus stuff a ton, but it’s another amazing stat,” head coach Mike Brown said. “He keeps throwing up these stats that are amazing. … To impact the game that way — again, not a huge believer in it — but to see a number like that in the short amount of time he was playing, was just amazing.”
- Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball was assigned to the G League on Tuesday to practice with the Greensboro Swarm (Twitter link). Ball has missed Charlotte’s past four games due to a right ankle impingement, but head coach Charles Lee expressed enthusiasm on Monday about the progress the 24-year-old has made in his recovery (Twitter video link via Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer).
Pacers Sign Jeremiah Robinson-Earl To Second 10-Day Deal
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl‘s initial 10-day contract with Indiana expired overnight on Monday, but he won’t be going anywhere. According to a press release from the team, Robinson-Earl has signed a second 10-day deal with the Pacers.
Robinson-Earl, who turned 25 last Monday, made five appearances during his first 10 days with Indiana, averaging 5.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per contest. The 6’8″ forward has shot just 32.3% from the floor so far, making 10-of-31 field goal attempts, and the Pacers have been outscored by 47 points during his 88 minutes on the court.
Still, unless Indiana starts getting healthier within the next 10 days, Robinson-Earl will likely continue to play regular minutes for the banged-up club, which is missing Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, and Obi Toppin, among several others.
The Pacers actually have a full 15-man roster, but have qualified for multiple hardship exceptions due to their injury situation, allowing them to temporarily exceed the usual roster limit. They also have Cody Martin on a 10-day hardship contract.
Robinson-Earl’s new deal will run through November 20, lining him up to be available for five more games. It will pay him $141,463 while carrying a cap hit of $131,970. He won’t be eligible to be brought back on another 10-day contract once it expires, since players can’t sign more than two 10-days with the same time in a given league year.
Pacers’ T.J. McConnell ‘Getting Closer’ To Return
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle provided an encouraging update on injured point guard T.J. McConnell on Sunday, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required).
McConnell, 33, strained his left hamstring in Indiana’s preseason opener on October 7. Carlisle said a couple days later that the veteran backup would miss at least a month — this is the first official update since then.
“T.J. is getting closer,” Carlisle said. “I know he had a workout today. I hadn’t heard how that went but I heard he’s been ramping up pretty steadily.”
According to Dopirak, Carlisle also gave an update on rookie guard Kam Jones, who has been out since early October due to a lower back stress reaction. Carlisle said the 38th pick in this year’s draft is making progress but his return is not imminent.
As Dopirak notes, the Pacers have been battered by a series of injuries this fall, with nine players out tonight at Golden State. The team has been hit particularly hard at point guard, though Andrew Nembhard was able to return yesterday after missing seven games (and most of an eighth) because of a left shoulder injury.
The defending Eastern Conference champions are currently 1-8 amid the discouraging wave of injuries.
Injury Notes: Reaves, Ball, Bridges, AD, Gafford, Giddey, Nesmith
After missing the past three games with a right groin strain, Lakers guard Austin Reaves has been upgraded to questionable for Monday’s contest in Charlotte, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic.
Reaves had been on a tear to open 2025/26 prior to the injury, averaging 31.1 points, 9.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals on .489/.344/.903 shooting in seven games (37.9 MPG). He’s widely expected to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026 — he holds a $14.9MM player option for next season he’s virtually certain to decline.
For the Hornets, star point guard LaMelo Ball will miss his fourth straight contest with a right ankle impingement, while forward Miles Bridges is questionable due to back spasms, per the team (Twitter link).
Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Mavericks big men Anthony Davis (left calf strain) and Daniel Gafford (right ankle sprain) are both questionable for Monday’s game against Milwaukee, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal relays (via Twitter). Davis, a 10-time All-Star, has missed the past five games for the Mavs. Gafford, meanwhile, aggravated his right ankle sprain — an injury he initially sustained on the first day of training camp — during Friday’s loss to Memphis, but was able to play 19 minutes in Saturday’s victory at Washington.
- Fifth-year guard Josh Giddey is off to a strong start for the Bulls, averaging 21.4 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 9.3 APG and 1.0 SPG on .463/.385/.755 shooting in nine games (34.1 MPG). However, he sprained his right ankle on Saturday when he was crossed over by Cavs forward De’Andre Hunter (YouTube link), and has been listed as questionable for Monday’s game vs. San Antonio, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- The Pacers will be without nine players on Sunday at Golden State, the team announced (via Twitter). The latest additions to the injury report are starting forwards Aaron Nesmith (right forearm contusion) and Pascal Siakam, who is resting on the second night of a back-to-back — Indiana lost in Denver on Saturday. The Pacers have two players (Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Cody Martin) on 10-day hardship contracts as a result of the team’s surplus of injuries.
Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard Expected To Return Saturday
After missing the past seven games due to a left shoulder strain he sustained early in the Pacers‘ season opener, guard Andrew Nembhard has been upgraded to questionable for Saturday’s matchup at Denver.
While that injury designation theoretically suggests there’s a 50/50 chance the player will suit up, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files reports (via Twitter) that Nembhard is expected to play vs. the Nuggets.
It’s certainly positive news for Indiana, which has been decimated by injuries this fall — seven other Pacers are out tonight, and several of them are dealing with long-term injuries.
Nembhard, 25, was the 31st overall pick in the 2022 draft. The Canadian combo guard, who is now in his fourth season, has been a solid two-way contributor for the Pacers and was expected to take on a larger role this season with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined for all of 2025/26 due to a torn Achilles tendon.
Veteran point guard Monte Morris, who was just signed by Indiana on Friday, will also be active against his former team — the 30-year-old spent five years the Nuggets, who selected him 51st overall back in 2017.
Morris believes he’s a strong fit for Indiana’s fast-paced read-and-react offense (Twitter video link via the team).
“I think it’ll be good,” Morris said. “This is maybe the first team I’ve been on in the league with pace that I’m used to.”
Pacers Sign Monte Morris, Waive Mac McClung
November 7: The Pacers have officially signed Morris and waived McClung, per a team press release.
Assuming Morris received a minimum-salary contract, he will earn a prorated $2,980,991 for the rest of the season, while the Pacers will carry a cap charge of $2,071,925. Both of those figures will be non-guaranteed until January.
November 6: The Pacers are waiving Mac McClung and signing Monte Morris, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter links).
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, the Pacers will carry a $164,060 cap hit for the remainder of the season by waiving McClung, whose two-year contract was non-guaranteed for both 2025/26 and 2026/27.
McClung, a 6’2″ guard, has become a household name among NBA fans by winning the past three slam dunk contests despite rarely playing in the league. He appeared in three games with the Pacers, averaging 6.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 11.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting slash line of .389/.200/.750.
McClung signed with Indiana on October 28 after an impressive showing during a free agent workout. Evidently the team prefers a more experienced player in Morris to man the point with several guards sidelined due to injuries.
The Pacers originally planned to sign Morris to compete for a roster spot in training camp, but the deal fell through when he sustained a calf injury in late September.
Morris, 30, is entering his ninth season in the league. He’s known for his ability to limit mistakes, with a career assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.9-to-1 — an elite mark.
Morris has been slowed by injuries the past couple years. He played 45 games (12.7 MPG) for Phoenix in 2024/25, averaging 5.2 PPG, 1.6 APG and 1.5 RPG on .426/.360/.826 shooting.
The defending Eastern Conference champions have been absolutely ravaged by injuries this fall and are off to a disappointing 1-7 start. The Pacers lost to Brooklyn on Wednesday, giving the Nets their first win of the season.
Pacers Aren't Expected To Be Major Sellers At Deadline
- Despite a 1-7 start and a slew of injuries, the Pacers aren’t expected to become major sellers going into the trade deadline, Siegel adds. Indiana is focused on “financial positioning” and keeping a competitive roster together for Tyrese Haliburton‘s expected return next season. Siegel says it would be surprising if the team is willing to part with Andrew Nembhard, T.J. McConnell or Aaron Nesmith.
Pacers Sign Cody Martin To 10-Day Hardship Deal
3:33 pm: The Pacers have officially signed Martin, according to a team press release.
9:17 am: The Pacers intend to add free agent forward Cody Martin to their roster, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). According to Scotto, Martin will be signed using a hardship exception, which means he’ll receive a 10-day contract.
Martin, 30 spent five-and-a-half seasons in Charlotte from 2019-25 before being sent to the Suns at February’s trade deadline along with Vasilije Micic in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic. The 6’6″ forward established himself early in his career as a versatile defender who could contribute in a variety of ways — he averaged 7.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals in 26.3 minutes per game for the Hornets in 2021/22, posting a .482/.384/.701 shooting line in 71 total outings.
However, Martin battled injuries that limited him to just 35 total games over the course of the next two seasons. He bounced back to some extent in 2024/25, making 53 appearances for Charlotte and Phoenix, but his shooting percentages dipped to 41.8% on field goal tries and 28.5% on three-pointers, below his career averages.
Waived by the Suns on June 30, Martin spent over four months on the open market and will now join an Indiana team that has been decimated by injuries in the early going this season. According to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link), the former Hornet and Sun was among the free agents who worked out for the Pacers before they signed Mac McClung last month.
The Pacers already have Jeremiah Robinson-Earl under contract via a hardship exception but would be permitted to retain Robinson-Earl while adding Martin as long as they’ve been granted a second exception.
A hardship exception, which allows a team to temporarily carry an extra player beyond the usual 15-man limit, is granted when a team has four players who have missed three consecutive games due to injuries and are expected to be sidelined for at least two more weeks. If a team has five players who fit that bill, a second hardship exception can be awarded.
Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles), Obi Toppin (foot), T.J. McConnell (hamstring), Bennedict Mathurin (foot), Kam Jones (back), and Andrew Nembhard (shoulder) have all been out for at least the Pacers’ past three games. Haliburton will miss the entire season and Toppin is expected to be out until February; the timelines for the others aren’t entirely clear, but if at least three of them are projected to miss two more weeks, the Pacers qualify for a second hardship exception.
Martin will earn $165,197 on a 10-day contract, while Indiana carries a cap hit of $131,970.
Pacers Notes: Turner, Furphy, Jackson, Nesmith, Walker
After predicting ahead of his return to Indiana that he’d hear “some cheers” and “some boos,” longtime Pacers center Myles Turner – now a member of the division rival Bucks – admitted following Monday’s game that he wasn’t able to easily shrug off the fact that the boos were far more prevalent.
“It was disheartening, man. It was frustrating,” Turner said of the reaction (Twitter video link via WISH-TV News). “You give 10 years of your life, your blood, your sweat, your tears. You take pay cuts. You survive trade rumors. You try to do everything the right way, and then sometimes stuff shakes out. It is cool. I take it on the chin.”
Turner, who was selected by the Pacers with the 11th overall pick in the 2015 draft, spent the first decade of his professional career in Indiana, making 616 regular season starts – and another 63 in the playoffs – during that time. After he reached free agency this past offseason, he felt he was low-balled by the Pacers and opted to accept a more lucrative offer from Milwaukee.
In his first game back in Indiana on Monday, Pacers fans booed during Turner’s pregame tribute video and continued to boo each time he touched the ball once the game started, notes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Turner and his new team got the last laugh, however, as Giannis Antetokounmpo made a game-winning shot at the buzzer and gave the fans in Indiana a thumbs down as he walked off the court (Twitter video link).
“He had 10 years of service with one franchise,” Antetokounmpo said of Turner after the game, per Akeem Glaspie of The Indianapolis Star. “To be able to come to Indiana as the all-time blocks leader, to be booed, he might not say it but it kind of hurt.
“We’re here to pick him up. Tell him how much we love him and respect him. We understand how much he gave to Indiana and how much he’s going to give to Milwaukee. He’s a great, great person; great character, great competitor. I played against him for 10 years. I think he gave everything he had; blood, sweat, tears, his body, many times on the line for Indiana. … You can boo the Bucks, I understand. But booing Myles Turner, just think about yourself, put yourself in that position.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Second-year Pacers guard Johnny Furphy, who missed four games early in the season due to left foot soreness, exited Monday’s game early due to a left ankle sprain, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. While head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters after the game that he didn’t have an update on Furphy’s status, the 20-year-old left the locker room on crutches, according to Dopirak.
- Furphy wasn’t the only Pacer to leave Monday’s game early due to an injury. Quenton Jackson, who is on a two-way contract, checked out in the third quarter due to right hamstring tightness. While he was initially listed as questionable to return, Jackson remained out for the rest of the night, per Dopirak. The fourth-year point guard had enjoyed a career night in Saturday’s win over Golden State, with 25 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, and three steals.
- Discussing the two latest injuries affecting the banged-up Pacers, star forward Pascal Siakam referred to it as “almost laughable” how many health issues the team has had to deal with so far this season, according to Dopirak (subscription required). “As bad as it’s getting I know there’s going to be another side of it and we’re going to come out of it,” Siakam said. “I’m just wired that way in a positive manner. I’m just going to continue to work and scratch and claw and we’re gonna find a way.”
- Aaron Nesmith, who is averaging more than five field goal attempts more than his previous career high, and Jarace Walker, whose shot attempts are up from 4.8 per game last year to 12.6 this season, are among the players who have been asked to take on more offensive responsibilities due to Indiana’s injury absences. “They’ve had to figure things out on the fly,” head coach Rick Carlisle said, per Dopirak. “We have a lot of moving parts here. … We have a lot of guys who are playing unusual positions, and so there’s adjustments that are happening there. Everybody’s spirit is good about it and we just have to keep working at it. Both Aaron and Jarace are doing a good job and they’re both growing through this.”
Myles Turner Discusses Free Agency Decision, Return To Indiana
Five months after helping the Pacers reach the NBA Finals, Myles Turner may be treated as a villain as he returns to Indiana on Monday. Tyrese Haliburton‘s ruptured Achilles in Game 7 of that series and Turner’s offseason decision to sign with the Bucks have quickly unraveled a potential championship team, and Turner isn’t sure how the fans will react when he’s introduced, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.
“I don’t know what to expect,” he said. “There’s going to be some cheers. There’s going to be some boos. It kind of just is what it is. For me personally, the biggest thing is obviously winning the basketball game, that’s paramount. But there’s going to be some mixed emotions. Still got some great people in the organization that I rock with. Obviously old teammates, it’s going to be a blend of emotions, for sure.”
Turner approached free agency fully expecting to re-sign with the Pacers, Collier adds. He had been the subject of trade rumors in the past, but those had always blown over and he anticipated continuing his 10-year relationship with Indiana.
However, sources tell Collier that negotiations between Turner’s agent and the team hit a snag because the Pacers wouldn’t increase their offer past $22MM annually for three years, as has been previously reported.
Meanwhile the Bucks were plotting a bold strategy to add Turner to their roster and hopefully quell trade speculation regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo. They provided the most shocking move of free agency when they waived Damian Lillard and stretched the $113MM left on his contract. That opened enough cap room to offer Turner a four-year, $107MM deal with a player option on the final season.
He considered it an easy choice, stating, “(Indiana) made it very clear how they valued me. And so did the Milwaukee Bucks.”
“I’ve always been told when I was in trade rumors, this is a business, this is a business, this is a business,” Turner added. “And that’s kind of what this decision was for me. It was a business decision. It’s unfortunate that it came at the time that it did, but it’s a $40MM difference at the end of the day.”
Pacers president Kevin Pritchard was shocked by Turner’s decision, Collier adds. Pritchard believed the negotiating process was still continuing and wasn’t aware of the deal with Milwaukee until he saw it on social media. He thought the team was nearing an acceptable offer, but Turner viewed it differently.
“There were a lot of factors that went into the decision,” Turner said, “but Indiana made it very easy for me.”
So far, Turner’s decision has worked out well for him and the Bucks and poorly for his former team. He’s off to a rough shooting start — averaging just 9.8 points through six games while connecting at 39.3% from the field and 34.4% from three-point range — but Milwaukee is 4-2 and looks like one of the best teams in the East. The Pacers didn’t pick up their first win until Saturday and have been suffering from a lack of star power.
Turner’s new teammates are raving about the veteran leadership he’s providing for a squad that lost Lillard, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton over the past year, and he’s enjoying the chance to play alongside a superstar in Antetokounmpo.
“He’s about to change my life, man,” Turner said. “I spent 10 years of my life doing the exact same thing. It’s obviously an adjustment, but it’s hoops at the end of the day.”