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.
Eastern Notes: Young, Ellis, Jackson, Nets, G League Awards
His Wizards debut won’t happen until Thursday, but Trae Young has already earned his first ejection as a member of his new team. As Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes, Young was lobbying for referees in Monday’s game to make a call on Tari Eason after the Rockets forward shoved Wizards wing Jamir Watkins multiple times. Young was initially called for a technical foul before officials conferred and ejected him for walking onto the court.
Head coach Brian Keefe explained to reporters after the game why he didn’t mind the ejection.
“I think he was just sticking up for his teammates, which I thought was great,” Keefe said. “Obviously, the refs missed a call, (in) which our guy got knocked down, and I loved how our teammates stuck with him. So, whatever happened in that moment, I was actually proud of him, because he stuck up for us teammates, and I really care about that type of stuff.”
Young didn’t speak to reporters about the incident, but tweeted a laughing emoji accompanied by the message, “Don’t expect me to get ejected too many more times, D.C. But I’m definitely bringing that energy and competitiveness when I’m back for my brothers!”
According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link), Young isn’t expected to face any additional discipline from the league office for coming onto the court from the bench.
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- While he was somewhat overshadowed at the deadline because the Cavaliers also acquired James Harden and Dennis Schröder, guard Keon Ellis has impressed his new teammates and head coach with his tenacity on defense, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). A potential 2026 unrestricted free agent who is currently eligible for a contract extension, Ellis had an incredible five blocks and three steals in Sunday’s win in Brooklyn. “He never gives up on a play,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I’ve never quite seen a player like him defensively. He’s not a massive guy but he plays way bigger than he looks. Length counts. Activity counts. He makes up for probably the strength deficit with his activity.”
- Quenton Jackson‘s new three-year deal with the Pacers will pay him $601,553 – his minimum – for the rest of the season and includes a partial guarantee of $275K on his minimum salary ($2,584,539) for 2026/27, Hoops Rumors has learned. Indiana used a portion of its mid-level exception to complete the signing, which includes a fully non-guaranteed third year.
- The Nets have lost eight straight games to drop to 15-45 on the season, but they’re seeing positive development from rookies like Nolan Traore and Danny Wolf. Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) takes a look at the strides Traore is making, while Peter Botte of The New York Post examines Wolf’s growth.
- Although MarJon Beauchamp has only appeared in two NBA games since signing a two-way contract with the Sixers in December, he’s putting up some big numbers for the Delaware Blue Coats. Beauchamp was named the G League’s latest Player of the Week for averaging 32.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in a pair of Blue Coats victories (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Bulls two-way guard Mac McClung was named the league’s Player of the Month for February after averaging 33.0 PPG and scoring no fewer than 24 points in any of his seven games last month for the Windy City Bulls (Twitter link).
Pacers Notes: Toppin, Q. Jackson, Slawson, Two-Ways, More
In a season in which the Pacers have been decimated by injuries, the team got a morale boost on Thursday when Obi Toppin returned to action after missing nearly all of 2025/26 following foot surgery, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). The popular sixth-year forward received a “thunderous standing ovation” from the home crowd when he was introduced as a starter.
“He’s our engine,” veteran point guard T.J. McConnell said. “He brings energy on both ends of the floor. To have him back, it’s just such a positive for our team. We’ve missed him dearly. He’s worked tirelessly to come back. … It just didn’t look like he missed a beat. It looked like he was having fun out there and I was just really happy for him.”
According to Dopirak, Toppin said he initially felt something in his right hamstring on October 26, when he exited Indiana’s third game of the season. Doctors determined that his hamstring was OK, but he was also experiencing discomfort in his right foot and underwent an MRI, which revealed a fracture in his fifth metatarsal bone. Toppin, who turns 28 years old in a few days, said he was determined to return this season.
“I always want to be out there on the floor,” Toppin said. “I wasn’t rushing to come back, but I definitely want to go out there. We’re still a team. We still want to find that rhythm. We’re not having the greatest year this year, but to find that rhythm and connectivity with the team. We have standards, we have things that we go by, so going out there and playing the right way for the team, whether that’s for this year or next year, we still have a lot of games coming up. Just continue to play the right way and show the younger guys how this goes.”
Toppin was limited to eight minutes and 29 seconds of playing time in Thursday’s loss and head coach Rick Carlisle indicated he would be on a minutes restriction for the rest of the season, Dopirak writes. Carlisle also praised Toppin’s versatility and fit with Indiana.
“Just the reaction of the crowd was heartwarming,” Carlisle said. “He’s a guy that brings energy to our team and our situation. … We need him.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Most of the roster was in attendance on Friday for a Pascal Siakam fundraiser when the team surprised Quenton Jackson with the news that he being converted to a three-year standard contract, per Dopirak (subscriber link). The Pacers released a video of the interaction (Twitter link). “He’s really earned it,” Carlisle said of the fourth-year guard. “… He’s a culture enhancer. That’s really the starting point with him. His game is something that is really helped us. He’s versatile. He can play two guard positions. He defends. He can run a team. He can play off the ball. A lot of good stuff. Our fans love him. When he comes in the game he just energizes things.” Jackson said he was grateful for the promotion but remains determined to keep improving his game.
- Jalen Slawson‘s two-way contract covers the rest of the 2025/26 season, reports Forbes contributor Tony East. The Pacers called up Slawson from their G League affiliate, the Noblesville Boom, when they converted Jackson. “I think he’s an NBA player,” Carlisle said. “He’s had a good year with the Boom and this will be a great opportunity for him to play some games.” Slawson, a former second-round pick, will be a restricted free agent this summer if the Pacers give him a two-way qualifying offer.
- The Pacers will have to carefully manage their two-way players for the rest of the season, as each player has a limited amount of games in which he can be active, East writes for Forbes. Taelon Peter can be active for 14 more games, Slawson can be active for up to 13 and Ethan Thompson has 10 games of eligibility left. Indiana has 22 games remaining in ’25/26.
- A pair of Boom players have season-ending injuries, the team announced in a press release. Forward Gabe McGlothan suffered multiple rib fractures in a game on February 22, while forward Ray Spalding will undergo surgery on his right middle finger. Both players are expected to make full recoveries, per the Boom.
Pacers Promote Quenton Jackson To Three-Year Standard Deal
February 28: Jackson has officially been converted to a standard contract, the Pacers announced in a press release. As we noted in another story, Slawson’s two-way contract has been finalized as well.
February 27: The Pacers are giving Quenton Jackson a promotion, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the two-way guard will be converted to a three-year standard contract. Jackson’s agents at Klutch Sports informed Charania of the deal.
Jackson, a four-year veteran, admitted to Tony Easy of Forbes and Circle City Spin that he had been thinking about the possibility of being promoted by Indiana (Twitter link).
“I’ve thought about it. It’s hard not to think about it,” Jackson said. “But at the same time, I wouldn’t say I wrap my head around it too much. In this game, it’s best to think about the things that you can control.”
A league source tells East (Twitter link) that Jackson’s new deal will be partially guaranteed in 2026/27 and non-guaranteed for the ’27/28 campaign.
A 27-year-old point guard, Jackson went undrafted in 2022 out of Texas A&M. He has made 30 appearances this season for the Pacers, averaging 9.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 17.3 minutes per game. His shooting line is a very solid .489/.409/.810.
Jackson’s two-way deal expires at season’s end. And because this is his fourth NBA season, he wouldn’t be eligible for another two-way contract in 2026/27, so Indiana needed to move him to the standard roster in order to retain him beyond this year.
General manager Chad Buchanan, Dustin Dopriak of The Indianapolis Star, and most recently East previously identified Jackson as a candidate to be promoted. The Pacers were carrying an open standard roster spot, so no corresponding move was needed to convert Jackson.
Buchanan told East a couple weeks ago that Jackson was “a big part of our culture in our locker room” and lauded the fourth-year guard’s energy, toughness, and positive attitude. For his part, Jackson said he loved Indiana and his fit within the team’s offense.
Promoting Jackson will create a two-way opening for the Pacers, which they reportedly plan to fill by promoting Noblesville Boom standout Jalen Slawson. Taelon Peter and Ethan Thompson currently hold Indiana’s other two-way spots.
Pacers Notes: Jackson, Furphy, Jones, Siakam
Exploring the Pacers‘ options to fill their 15th roster spot, Tony East of Forbes identifies two-way player Quenton Jackson as a clear candidate for a promotion to a standard contract.
Unlike the contracts signed by fellow two-way players Taelon Peter and Ethan Thompson, Jackson’s two-way deal expires at season’s end. And because this is his fourth NBA season, he wouldn’t be eligible for another two-way contract in 2026/27, so Indiana would need to move him to the standard roster in order to retain him beyond this year.
Assuming the Pacers decide Jackson is the player they want to fill their open roster spot, it would make sense to sign him to a new deal sooner rather than later. As East outlines, Indiana now has enough room below the luxury tax line to give him either the veteran’s minimum or slightly above it for the rest of the season, and March 4 is the deadline to sign a player to a two-way contract. So if Indiana wants to promote Jackson and back-fill his two-way slot, it would have to happen by next Wednesday.
We have more on the Pacers:
- Second-year guard Johnny Furphy, who tore his right ACL earlier this month, underwent surgery in Chicago on Tuesday to repair that tear, the team announced in a press release. For now, the Pacers have simply ruled out Furphy for the rest of the 2025/26 season, but the typical recovery timeline for that procedure suggests he’ll miss a significant chunk of ’26/27 too.
- Rookie guard Kam Jones didn’t make his NBA debut until late December due to a back injury and didn’t play much in January, but he has appeared in each of Indiana’s past nine games, averaging 26.6 minutes per night during that time. As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes in a subscriber-only story, Jones has made the most of his recent opportunity and head coach Rick Carlisle has taken notice, noting that the 2025 second-rounder has a “knack for making intelligent basketball plays.” Carlisle added that Jones is in much better shape now than he was earlier in the season. “It’s hard to really understand if you’re a fan watching from afar how difficult it is to have a two-month head start that everybody gets on you from a conditioning and rhythm standpoint,” Carlisle said. “Really he was unable to do anything on the floor that required running or pounding because of the back situation. You’re seeing now that he’s getting into some real condition.”
- While there’s a chance Obi Toppin will return from foot surgery on Thursday vs. Charlotte, the Pacers will remain shorthanded whether or not the forward is available. Among the players likely to be inactive? Star forward Pascal Siakam, who is listed as doubtful due to a left wrist sprain. Siakam returned on Sunday after missing three straight games with a hamstring injury but injured his wrist and sat out Tuesday’s loss to Philadelphia.
Central Notes: Allen, Harden, Dieng, Q. Jackson, Oladipo
Starting center Jarrett Allen has impressed new Cavaliers point guard James Harden, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Harden, an 11-time All-Star, was acquired a couple weeks ago in a blockbuster trade with the Clippers.
“He’s better than I thought he was‚” Harden said of Allen following Cleveland’s blowout victory over the Nets on Thursday. “He’s able to catch the ball and finish around the rim with both hands. He has so much touch around the rim. That’s I think probably one of the most underrated parts of his game.
“Just trying to find ways to get him the ball, in positions where he can be successful. It’s only been four games, but it’s easy for me to just figure it out.”
The 35-21 Cavaliers have been surging up the Eastern Conference standings over the past four-plus weeks, winning 11 of their past 12 games, including six straight. Head coach Kenny Atkinson says he’s been focused on getting Allen more involved offensively, according to Fedor, and Harden has quickly developed impressive chemistry with the 27-year-old big man.
“Almost like a renewed energy, a belief,” Atkinson reiterated when asked about Harden’s presence. “They know we got something good going on. We brought in guys that are going to help us. Wow we’ve got to confirm it, right? I’m not going to sit up here after four games or whatever and say we’re this juggernaut. We still have a lot to prove. But I think the early returns with our spirit and our confidence and our aggressiveness is really good.”
Here’s more from around the Central Division:
- It was a whirlwind trade deadline for fourth-year forward Ousmane Dieng, who was involved in three different deals before finally ending up with the Bucks. He said Milwaukee had been interested in him for some time, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “It was a little crazy, but I’m excited to be here,” Dieng said. “I know they were trying to get me for a while here in Milwaukee, so I’m excited and just ready to help the team.” As Nehm writes, the 22-year-old caught fire in his final two games before the All-Star break, scoring 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting in 23 minutes in a win at Orlando. The impending restricted free agent followed that up with the best stat line of his career against his former team, recording 19 points (on 7-of-12 shooting), 11 rebounds, six assists and four blocks in a victory at Oklahoma City. “I think he’s just scratching the surface,” Bucks lead assistant coach Darvin Ham said in Oklahoma City. “He’s so young, and just his size, his athleticism, his smarts … some of the passes he made, some of the finishes, the 3s, the defense, like, he’s just scratching the surface. We found a jewel.”
- In an in-depth subscriber-only story for The Indianapolis Star, Dustin Dopirak takes a look at Quenton Jackson‘s upbringing and unconventional path to the NBA. The Pacers guard, who is on a two-way contract, is a candidate to be promoted to a standard deal before the season ends, Dopirak writes. “The love that they showed was different,” Jackson said of the Pacers. “And just the way they played. It’s a free-spirited game. They don’t put too much pressure on you to do too much. They don’t put you in a box. They kinda just allow you to be you within the system that they have. I love that. They play fast. That was always my game. I was always quick, I was always in shape, I was always playing fast, a transition guy. That worked out for me as well. I just love it here. The people are cool. It was kinda just my atmosphere. This is my vibe. I love everybody here.”
- Former All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, who is attempting an NBA comeback by playing in the G League, has been traded from the Bucks‘ affiliate team (the Wisconsin Herd) to the Cavaliers‘ affiliate club (the Cleveland Charge), the Herd announced in a press release. Wisconsin received the returning player rights to Jacob Gilyard and Drake Jeffries, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2026 international pick. Oladipo, 33, has averaged 14.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.8 APG and 1.8 SPG on .396/.321/.714 shooting in 26 games with the Herd this season (28.7 MPG).
Pacers Notes: Zubac, Jackson, Toppin, Roster
After losing Myles Turner in free agency last summer, the Pacers experimented this season with players like Isaiah Jackson and Jay Huff in the starting center role. However, the team felt that acquiring a veteran five was a priority, according to general manager Chad Buchanan, who tells Tony East of Forbes that Ivica Zubac emerged as Indiana’s “number one clear target” ahead of the trade deadline due to his fit, age, production, and character.
The Pacers are lottery-bound this season and could’ve waited until the summer to address their center spot, but Buchanan and the front office felt like it made more sense to come up with a solution now rather than wait to see what options were available in a few months.
“You just never know if you wait, is the opportunity still there? There could be other opportunities. There could be no opportunities. You just don’t know,” Buchanan said. “Other teams may have a need this summer and now you have more competition for a player. I kind of equate it as if there’s a race taking place for a championship – some teams are in the race, some teams are preparing for the race, some teams are watching the race. And we wanted to be in the race, not standing on the sidelines watching.”
The package that the Pacers sent the Clippers for Zubac includes a 2026 first-round pick that will stay in Indiana if it lands in the top four or outside the top nine, with L.A. receiving it if it’s between No. 5 and No. 9. There’s a possibility the Pacers will end up surrendering the fifth or sixth overall pick in a strong draft, but Buchanan said the team was happy not to have to sacrifice the upside at the very top of the draft and recognized giving up assets of real value was necessary to land a player like Zubac.
“Ideally, you don’t have to give up anything, but hey, to get a good player, you’ve got to give up something too. There’s a little pain on both sides in any trade,” Buchanan said. “The pain for us is giving up two players that we drafted and developed and had a lot of good experiences together (Bennedict Mathurin and Jackson). And obviously the picks. On their end, they’re giving up a player who was a big part of who their organization was. Had a lot of longevity there, a lot of attachment emotionally to what he’d done for that team. So there’s always a little pain on both sides.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Indiana has an open spot on its 15-man roster after its deadline moves and Buchanan acknowledged to East that promoting Quenton Jackson from his two-way contract is a “real possibility” to fill that opening. The Pacers’ GM referred to Jackson as “a big part of our culture in our locker room” and lauded his energy, toughness, and positive attitude. Jackson still has 18 games of eligibility remaining on his two-way deal, so if he’s going to fill that 15th roster spot, there’s no real urgency for the Pacers – who are operating less than $900K from the tax line – to convert him right away.
- Zubac has yet to make his Pacers debut due to an ankle issue while forward Obi Toppin has been out since October as he recovers from foot surgery. However, Buchanan tell East that he expects to see both players back on the court this season.
- Asked by East what the Pacers’ roster still needs now that it has a new starting center, Buchanan joked that it’d be great to add a top-four pick in this year’s draft. The GM went on to say that the team will use the final two months of the season as an evaluation period before making additional roster decisions in the summer. “Depending on if we have the pick or don’t have the pick determines some of what we do roster-wise, what we have flexibility-wise with the cap,” he said. “But we’re going to be aggressive to try to put ourselves in a position to compete and contend for a championship next year. And whatever that means, we’re going to try and do it.”
- Zubac has made just 1-of-12 three-pointers since entering the NBA in 2016, but he said this week that he and head coach Rick Carlisle have already talked about him spending more time in the corner and having more opportunities to shoot from beyond the arc. “I always thought I could shoot that shot,” Zubac said, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). “I obviously didn’t get a lot of chances to do it with the Clippers, but I always worked on it and wanted to shoot it but never had a chance. We’ll see how open he will be for that. If that’s what they want me to do, I have the rest of the season and the whole summer to work on it and be ready for next year.”
Central Notes: Tomlin, Cunningham, Bucks Trades, Jackson
Cavaliers forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin is likely to be promoted from his two-way deal to a standard contract, but not right away, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in his latest mailbag (subsciber-only story).
Teammates and coaches are lobbying for Tomlin’s promotion, he has the support of the front office, and Cleveland has an open spot on its 15-man roster.
Still, the cap-strapped team is in no hurry to make the move and will likely keep its roster options open until the trade deadline passes, since Tomlin has only been active for 41 games — that means he’s still nine away from the 50-game threshold for two-way players. The Cavs only have seven games prior to the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- The Pistons defeated New Orleans without All-Star starter Cade Cunningham in the lineup on Wednesday. Cunningham sat out due to an illness and a left hip contusion. He’s questionable to play in Detroit’s home game against Houston on Friday, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic tweets.
- The Bucks have limited trade assets but they’re comfortably below the luxury tax line and about $18MM under the first apron. So what kind of moves might they make, short of trading their superstar? The Athletic’s Eric Nehm proposes a number of hypothetical deals, a few of which include Kyle Kuzma, Gary Harris and Amir Coffey as well as a blockbuster that would involve Bobby Portis and several other players to acquire the Kings’ Zach LaVine.
- Quenton Jackson‘s ankle was “jammed,” according to coach Rick Carlisle, during the Pacers’ loss to the Celtics on Wednesday. Jackson wasn’t on crutches in the locker room afterward, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak (Twitter link), and seemed to be moving around OK though he was in some pain. He’s questionable to play against Oklahoma City on Friday.
Kam Jones, Quenton Jackson Active Tonight For Pacers
The Pacers are finally getting some reinforcements back. According to the team (Twitter link), second-round pick Kam Jones will be active to potentially make his NBA debut on Friday in Philadelphia.
Jones was upgraded to questionable for the first time in 2025/26 earlier on Friday, notes Tony East of Circle City Spin (via Twitter).
The 38th pick in this year’s draft, Jones missed the first 24 games of his rookie season after experiencing a lower back stress reaction in training camp. The 23-year-old guard played four years at Marquette prior to signing a four-year standard contract with Indiana.
Quenton Jackson, who has been out since November 3 due to a right hamstring strain, will also be available tonight. He suited up for the Pacers’ G League affiliate on Thursday before rejoining the NBA club ahead of Friday’s game.
A fourth-year guard who is on a two-way contract, Jackson was off to a solid start before the injury, averaging 11.8 points, 3.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 steal on .541/.500/.722 shooting through five games (20.2 minutes per contest).
The Pacers have been absolutely ravaged by injuries this season and still have four players — Tyrese Haliburton (torn Achilles tendon), Obi Toppin (right foot stress fracture), Aaron Nesmith (left knee sprain) and Ben Sheppard (left calf strain) — sidelined.