Pacers Notes: Zubac, Q. Jackson, Carlisle, Injuries
More than a month after being acquired at the trade deadline, Ivica Zubac was able to make his Pacers debut this week, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Fully recovered from a left ankle injury, Zubac played 16 minutes on Thursday against Phoenix and 29 on Friday against New York. Coach Rick Carlisle told reporters that it’s important for Zubac and his new teammates to get used to each other in preparation for next season.
“We need to find ways to make these games meaningful for the development of our team,” Carlisle said. “It’s important that Andrew Nembhard and Zubac play together. … We’re looking to introduce things that take advantage of Zu’s strengths, the guys he’s playing with. Now it’s just a matter of more time together in games.”
The Pacers currently have the league’s worst record, but they plan to be back in title contention next season with most of their NBA Finals roster still together and Zubac taking the place of Myles Turner. Zubac has been closely observing the team’s style of play over the past few weeks in preparation for that challenge, and he believes he’ll be a good addition.
“I feel like no matter who plays on this team, they play the same way,” Zubac said. “They fit right in. It’s always next man up. It felt the same. It’s different guys, but the way they play, the way they move, the stuff they do, everyone on this team is really bought into the system. No matter who is out there, they’re gonna play super hard, they’re gonna move the ball, they’re gonna sacrifice themselves for the other guy. It’s really fun.”
There’s more from Indiana:
- Zubac was playing with ankle soreness in L.A. and didn’t expect to get back to 100% until the season ended, Tony East of Circle City Spin states in an inside look at the center’s return to action. That approach changed with the trade, as the Pacers wanted him to be completely healed before he tried to play again.
- Backup point guard Quenton Jackson missed his second straight game on Friday with a calf issue. “It’s a mild strain,” Carlisle said, per Dopirak (Twitter link). “But every time you hear calf strain it’s not mild. It’s something that requires attention.”
- Carlisle revealed that as the Pacers deal with numerous injuries, they’re in frequent contact with the league office about who is able to play, Dopirak adds (Twitter link). The team was fined $100K last month for violating the player participation policy, and Carlisle wants league officials to be aware of his situation heading into a stretch of five games in seven days. He added that the conversations have been happening since mid-January.
Ivica Zubac Will Make Pacers Debut Thursday
March 12: Zubac will play on Thursday, head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed (Twitter link via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star).
Obi Toppin, Nesmith, McConnell, Siakam and Jackson are all out, but Nembhard will be available, tweets East.
March 11: Veteran center Ivica Zubac has been upgraded to questionable for the Pacers‘ game against the Suns on Thursday, per Tony East of Forbes Sports (Twitter link).
If he’s able to play vs. Phoenix, it would mark Zubac’s debut for the Pacers, who acquired him at February’s trade deadline with an eye to shoring up their frontcourt in the 2026/27 season when Tyrese Haliburton returns from his ruptured Achilles.
After averaging 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game and being named to the All-Defensive second team in 2024/25, Zubac has battled injuries this season, including a left ankle sprain that has kept him on the shelf since February 2.
At the time of the trade that sent him from the Clippers to the Pacers, it was unclear if Zubac would suit up for Indiana this season, especially since the 2026 first-round pick they gave up for him includes top-four and 10-30 protection, making the team’s end-of-season lottery odds especially important. The Pacers are currently 15-50, which is the NBA’s worst record.
T.J. McConnell, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith are all also considered questionable for Thursday’s matchup with Phoenix, while Pascal Siakam and Quenton Jackson are listed as doubtful to play.
Injury Notes: Prince, Collins, Pacers, Goodwin
Bucks forward Taurean Prince has been upgraded to questionable ahead of Tuesday’s matchup with Phoenix, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
It’s a surprising development, as Prince has been out since November after undergoing surgery to address a herniated disk in his neck. The Bucks applied for a disabled player exception in the wake of Prince’s injury, and NBA doctors determined he was more likely than not to be out through June 15, because Milwaukee was granted the DPE, per Eric Pincus of Sports Business Classroom.
While it’s unlikely the Bucks will use the $1,651,887 disabled player exception they received for Prince anyway, it’s worth noting that they would forfeit it if he’s active tomorrow. Incidentally, Tuesday is also the deadline for teams to use DPEs.
According to Nehm (Twitter link), Prince has been working out regularly on the court after practices and prior to games since he returned to the team following the surgery. The 31-year-old sent out a tweet indicating that he’s close to playing again.
Prince, a 10-year veteran, last played on November 4, Milwaukee’s eighth game of the season. He holds a $3.8MM player option for 2026/27.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- The Clippers expect John Collins to remain sidelined this week as he continues to deal with a neck strain, per Mark Medina (Twitter link). Collins, who last played on March 1, missed his fifth straight game on Monday. The 28-year-old power forward has done some on-court work, Medina adds. Collins will be a free agent this summer.
- The Pacers will be without All-Star forward Pascal Siakam (right knee sprain) and backup point guard T.J. McConnell (right hamstring soreness) on Tuesday against Sacramento, the team announced (via Twitter). Starting point guard Andrew Nembhard is also unlikely to suit up, having been listed as doubtful due to lower back and neck soreness.
- Suns guard Jordan Goodwin has been upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s game at Milwaukee, according to Gerald Bourguet of Suns After Dark (Twitter link). Goodwin, a tenacious rebounder and defender, has missed Phoenix’s last seven games due to a left calf strain. Grayson Allen (right knee injury management) is also questionable for the Suns.
Carlisle Questions NBA’s Decision To Fine Pacers; League Responds
2:34 pm: An NBA spokesperson issued a statement to Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link) to push back against Carlisle’s framing of the investigation into the Pacers.
“Coach Carlisle’s description of the process that went into the decision to fine the Indiana Pacers is inaccurate,” the spokesperson said. “An independent physician led the medical review. In addition, the Pacers’ general manager and the team’s senior vice president (of) sports medicine and performance were interviewed as part of the process. The Pacers confirmed that it had provided all of the information requested by the league and the team reported that an interview with Coach Carlisle or a team physician wasn’t necessary.”
1:36 pm: The Pacers were one of two teams fined by the NBA ahead of the All-Star break for the manner in which they were managing their players. While Indiana’s $100K fine paled in comparison to the $500K penalty the Jazz received, commissioner Adam Silver‘s statement at the time suggested that the league believed both clubs were prioritizing “draft position over winning.”
The Pacers were disciplined for holding out Pascal Siakam and two other players for a February 3 game against Utah. According to the league’s statement, the NBA determined, with the help of an independent physician, that all three could have played in the game, perhaps in reduced roles.
The league fined Indiana for violating the league’s player participation policy, noting in its statement that the Pacers also could have held out those players in other games in order to better promote compliance with the policy.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle didn’t address the fine at length at the time it happened, but he was more open about it during a radio appearance on 107.5 The Fan on Tuesday, making it clear to Kevin Bowen and James Boyd that he didn’t think the NBA made the right call (Twitter video link).
“I didn’t agree with it,” Carlisle said (story via Boyd for The Athletic). “There was a league lawyer that was doing the interview that kind of unilaterally decided that Aaron Nesmith, who had been injured the night before and couldn’t hold the ball, should have played in the game, which just seems ridiculous.
“During the interview process – I was not on it, but I heard details – we asked them if they wanted to talk to the doctors, our doctors, about it because it was something that was documented by our doctors and trainers. They said no, they didn’t need to. They talked to their doctors, who did not examine Aaron Nesmith. And we asked them if they wanted to talk to (Nesmith), and they said, no, they didn’t need to.
“This was shocking to me. And during the interview, they also asked if we considered medicating him to play in a game when we were 30 games under .500. So I was very surprised. Obviously didn’t agree with it.”
It’s worth noting that Siakam (who sat out on Feb. 3 due to “rest”) was the only player specifically named in the NBA’s statement, and he meets the criteria of a “star” under the player participation policy. So if the league felt that the Pacers’ management of Siakam violated the policy, it could make the case for a $100K fine (the penalty for a first-time offender) without requiring any additional reasons.
Still, the NBA’s statement suggested the league determined that two additional starters held out of that Feb. 3 game – believed to be Nesmith (left hand strain) and Andrew Nembhard (low back injury management) – were healthy enough to play. Carlisle’s comments call into question how the NBA made that determination and whether or not it was accurate.
Pacers Notes: Huff, McConnell, Injuries, Bradley
Pacers center Jay Huff had a career night in Friday’s win over New Orleans, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). The 7’1″ big man posted a career-best 29 points (on 13-of-17 shooting) while chipping in nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 29 minutes.
“(Huff’s) getting better just at understanding where he needs to be,” Pascal Siakam said. “Continuing to run the floor, get some good rolls. He’s a shooter, so sometimes I think he forgets that he’s seven-feet, you know?
“So get down there. Get some of those dunks, those tricky ones — he owes me an assist today too for that missed dunk he had — but naw, I think he’s just playing free, shooting open shots, running hard and playing hard and getting those rolls and he’s able to get buckets.”
Huff, who was acquired in an offseason trade with Memphis, got off to a relatively slow start with Indiana, averaging 7.8 points and 3.9 rebounds on .413/.294/.833 shooting in 34 games through the end of December (19.5 minutes per contest), Dopirak notes. However, the 27-year-old has played some of the best basketball of his career since the start of the new year, scoring 20-plus points three times and averaging 13.4 PPG and 3.6 RPG on .667/.424/.833 shooting over the past eight games (23.0 MPG).
“There’s growth with his connection with his teammates,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s feeling the game that we play better and better all the time.”
Known for his shot-blocking prowess, Huff — a former G League Defensive Player of the Year — is second in the league in blocks per game (2.1) among players who qualify, Dopriak adds.
Here’s more from Indianapolis:
- While there was little doubt that he would reach the threshold given that he’s been regular part of the rotation, Huff also had his salary for 2026/27 fully guaranteed after playing at least 825 minutes in 2025/26 — he’s currently at 845. His contract previously featured a $379K partial guarantee for next season, but he will now earn a guaranteed $2,667,944. The Pacers have a 2027/28 team option on Huff worth $3,005,085 — that figure will now be guaranteed as well if the option is exercised.
- Backup point guard T.J. McConnell joined Lou Williams as just the second player in NBA history to record at least 3,000 assists off the bench, per Tony East of Circle City Spin. The 33-year-old dished out nine assists on Friday to surpass that threshold. “Getting an assist, my teammates have to make the shots at the end of the day,” he said. “So for me, this says more about the players that I’ve played with in Philadelphia and especially here. Been fortunate to play with some great players in some great locker rooms, and just thankful for each and every teammate I’ve played with.”
- The Pacers will be shorthanded on Saturday in Detroit on the second of a back-to-back, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Siakam (rest), McConnell (left knee/elbow injury management), Aaron Nesmith (rest) and Andrew Nembhard (lower back injury management) are all out. However, center Isaiah Jackson has a chance to return — he has been upgraded to questionable. Jackson has been out since December 23 due to a concussion.
- Tony Bradley‘s 10-day contract will expire on Saturday night, East notes (via Twitter). The veteran big man was waived at the beginning of January before his contract became guaranteed but Indiana brought him back a few days later. The Pacers have the option to re-sign Bradley to a second 10-day deal.
Peyton Watson, Scottie Barnes Named Players Of Week
Nuggets wing Peyton Watson and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Watson led the depleted Nuggets to a 3-1 record during the week of January 5-11, posting averages of 24.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game while making 70% of his three-point attempts (14-of-20).
The fourth-year swingman entered Denver’s starting lineup in November due to injuries and is enjoying a career year ahead of his restricted free agency. This is the first Player of the Week award of his career.
The Raptors also had a 3-1 record last week with Barnes averaging 22.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists — he sat out the team’s loss to Boston on Friday due to a right knee sprain, so Toronto was 3-0 when he played.
Barnes’ best game of the week came in an overtime victory over Philadelphia on Sunday — he racked up 31 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds, and was a +15 in a game the Raptors won by a single point.
It’s the second time Barnes has earned Player of the Week honors in his career.
Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers), Devin Booker (Suns), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) were the other Western Conference nominees, while Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Joel Embiid (Sixers), Darius Garland (Cavaliers), Jalen Johnson (Hawks) and Andrew Nembhard (Pacers) were also nominated in the East.
Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Nembhard, Mathurin, Walker, Thompson
Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton continues to make progress in his recovery from his torn Achilles, posting a 30-second clip on social media on Monday that showed him running, jumping, and shooting on a practice court (Twitter video link).
However, with Haliburton having already been ruled out for the 2025/26 season, he’s taking some work on the side — Amazon Prime Video formally announced today that the two-time All-Star has been added as a player contributor for the streamer’s NBA broadcasts (Twitter link).
As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star explains, Haliburton’s appearance on Prime Video on Tuesday night will be his first of several over the course of the season. In addition to providing analysis on NBA Nightcap, Amazon’s studio show, the Pacers star will document and give a behind-the-scenes look at his recovery process from his Achilles tear.
We have more out of Indiana:
- Without Haliburton available, the Pacers are leaning more this season on players like Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin to take on starring roles alongside forward Pascal Siakam. That trio combined for 76 points in Monday’s victory over Sacramento and has fueled the team’s stronger play (four wins in six games) as of late, according to Dopirak (subscription required). “Those three guys were great,” head coach Rick Carlisle said of Siakam, Nembhard, and Mathurin on Monday. “… Those three guys are our three leaders, really. I’ve talked to the three of them together a few times in the last week or 10 days. And Benn is in that group now along with (Aaron) Nesmith and (T.J.) McConnell. Those guys are our veteran leaders.”
- After playing just nine minutes in Friday’s game in Chicago, Pacers forward Jarace Walker bounced back on Monday by providing 12 points and three rebounds in 18 minutes of action. Carlisle, who wasn’t pleased with Walker’s effort against the Bulls, was more enthusiastic about what he saw from the former lottery pick vs. the Kings. “I thought he was terrific tonight,” Carlisle said after Monday’s game, per Dopirak. “I don’t think his stats were super gaudy. Twelve points, we needed every single one of those points. He had a huge steal in transition. I don’t know how he pulls some of that stuff off. He just has amazing hands. Nights like Chicago is feedback for young players. His response in practice yesterday was terrific. I just liked his demeanor, his affect and his tone during the game. We need him.”
- One week after making his NBA debut, Pacers two-way player Ethan Thompson made his first career start on Monday, getting a look in the wing role that has been played in recent weeks by Ben Sheppard, Walker, and Garrison Mathews. While Thompson’s numbers – six points and five rebounds – didn’t jump off the page, he had a couple steals and didn’t turn the ball over in his 28 minutes. “He plays a very solid, very even keeled game and he’s helping us,” Carlisle said of Thompson after the win (Twitter link via Dopirak).
- In case you missed it, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported earlier today that the Pacers have been engaged in trade talks in the hopes of finding a long-term answer at the center position.
Siegel’s Latest: H. Jones, Poole, Pacers, Warriors, Cavs, Heat
The Pelicans have long signaled that forward Herbert Jones is off limits in trade talks, and that stance didn’t change when Joe Dumars was hired to run the front office in the spring, writes Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
However, according to Siegel, with the Pelicans off to a miserable 3-20 start to the season and Dumars seemingly becoming more open to the idea of major changes, the odds of a deal involving Jones have grown “exponentially” in recent months. After signing a contract extension in July, Jones isn’t currently eligible to be traded, but that will restriction will lift on January 14, a few weeks before this season’s deadline.
Jordan Poole‘s status with the Pelicans will also be worth monitoring this winter, Siegel writes, pointing out that Jeremiah Fears‘ emergence as Dejounte Murray‘s potential return in the new year are factors that could make Poole expendable.
After being acquired by the Pelicans in the offseason, Poole got off to a shaky start this fall and has missed the past month with a quad strain. The 26-year-old also doesn’t have an especially team-friendly contract — he’s owed $31.8MM this season and $34MM next season – so his value would probably be pretty limited.
Here are a few more items of interest from Siegel’s latest round-up of rumors from across the NBA:
- While Pacers role players like T.J. McConnell, Aaron Nesmith, and Andrew Nembhard have drawn plenty of interest in recent years, Indiana is unlikely to make major changes to its roster this season, since the team believes it can be a contender again in 2026/27 with Tyrese Haliburton back in the lineup, according to Siegel. If the Pacers do make an in-season move, Bennedict Mathurin is considered their most likely trade candidate, Siegel adds, since he’s on an expiring contract and is eligible for restricted free agency over the summer.
- Siegel believes that if Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo requests a trade and the Warriors make an offer, it’s more likely to be centered around Jimmy Butler than Draymond Green. According to Siegel, trading Green is “not something the Warriors plan on doing,” given his long-time importance to the organization.
- Teams around the league are keeping a close eye on the Cavaliers, who are off to an underwhelming 13-10 start, with rival executives wondering if the team might listen to inquires on starting center Jarrett Allen, per Siegel. Allen is earning $20MM this season before his three-year, $90.7MM extension begins in July.
- Viewed entering the season as possible deadline sellers, the 14-8 Heat are now widely viewed as more likely to be buyers, with forward Andrew Wiggins considered unlikely to be moved unless it’s in a deal that upgrades Miami’s roster, says Siegel.
Injury Notes: Brown, Nembhard, Porzingis, MPJ, Pelicans
Star wing Jaylen Brown is questionable to suit up for the Celtics on Saturday in Minnesota, tweets Marc Stein of The Stein Line. Brown, who has appeared in all 18 of Boston’s games thus far in 2025/26, is dealing with lower back spasms.
The 29-year-old has taken on an increased offensive workload with Jayson Tatum out with a torn Achilles tendon. Brown is averaging a career-high 28.2 points per game this season while also contributing 5.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard has been ruled out of Friday’s game against Washington because of a right quad contusion, relays Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. However, it doesn’t sound like Nembhard’s injury is serious — head coach Rick Carlisle hopes to have the team’s starting point guard back on Saturday vs. Chicago (Twitter link via Dopirak).
- Hawks center Kristaps Porzingis is battling an illness and won’t play in Friday’s matchup vs. Cleveland, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). While Porzingis has been productive in his first season with Atlanta, availability continues to be an issue — Friday will mark his eighth missed game in the Hawks’ first 20 games of the season.
- Michael Porter Jr. has been a bright spot for the tanking Nets, posting career-best numbers in several statistical categories. However, the 27-year-old forward is out for Friday’s game against Philadelphia due to lower back tightness. Brian Lewis of The New York Post asked Friday evening whether Porter’s injury would result in a short- or long-term absence (Twitter link). “Obviously we’re never going to rush him. His health, body, is the No. 1 priority,” head coach Jordi Fernandez replied. “We’re not concerned…We’ll give an update after the game.”
- In addition to Dejounte Murray (right Achilles rupture), Jordan Poole (left quad strain) and Herbert Jones (right calf strain), the Pelicans will also be without second-year big man Karlo Matkovic (right calf strain) and third-year guard Jordan Hawkins (illness) on Saturday at Golden State, per a team press release. Versatile wing Trey Murphy III, who is dealing with right elbow soreness, is questionable to suit up against the Warriors.
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.”