Loss to Nets shows Pacers level — and explains their many transactions

INDIANAPOLIS – The Pacers fell to 1-7 on Wednesday, dropping a home game against the previously-winless Brooklyn Nets. There is no illusion that the Pacers are playing well this season, and their injury situation makes their record somewhat easily explainable. But losing to the Nets hit a little differently in the midst of an otherwise difficult early-season schedule.

Many of the same issues popped up for the blue and gold. 23 fouls, 18 turnovers, and 41.4% shooting from the field all stand out in the box score. None of those digits are good. While that was the most team turnovers Indiana has posted in one game this season, they've shot worse from the field three times and fouled more four times.

So falling against Brooklyn was disappointing, but the individual issues weren't particularly surprising. Compared to last season, though, the current state of the Pacers is more jarring.

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The Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, up close

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The 2025-26 version of the team – an injury-filled group – has already shot below 42% from the field four times in eight games. In 2024-25, that only happened six times total. Last year's team had their fourth outing shooting below 42% in game 63. That was on March 10. This season, it took four games. November 5 was the date.

The 2024-25 Pacers exited 13 battles with 23 or more fouls. That's already happened five times in the ongoing season. Granted, last year's team fouled often early in the campaign, too, but it's been a major issue for the currently 1-7 group.

So, yes, the injury report is the story of the season. Nine players have missed time. Eight are currently out at the same time. But the Pacers, even with their available talent, are playing poorly. Remember the Pacers finale of the 2024-25 regular season? They played in Cleveland without basically all of their key pieces. The game went to double overtime. That Indiana group, in a 58 minute game, had 20 fouls and 13 turnovers.

They didn't make many shots, but the current Pacers have more talent than the team that suited up that night. They can be better even in their current reality, and the blue and gold will have to win some games eventually. Because right now, they have the NBA's worst record after just over two weeks.

"Definitely a tough situation we're in with the circumstances of personnel and everything," forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl said postgame. "We've got a bunch of new guys here just trying to figure out the system."

The whiplash from June's NBA Finals run to this season can't be fun for anyone. Losing isn't fun, period. It's easier knowing that more success should return next season, but being 1-7 isn't where any team hopes to be.

I asked Ben Sheppard directly if being 1-7 hurts or sucks, especially after last season. "It’s early on in the season, so I don’t really have a stance on that," he said. "It’s a long season, and we’ve just got to go out there and take every game day-by-day."

That's the right attitude, and the Pacers are still chasing wins. How much they are playing Pascal Siakam, how close they have been in many games (six clutch outings), and their repeated transactions trying to make the team better all make it obvious they want to get back on track.

More of those transactions have come in recent days, including one just before the loss to the Nets.

Cody Martin joins the Pacers on a hardship contract

Just before Pacers-Nets, the Pacers added forward Cody Martin on a 10-day hardship contract. It's the second hardship exception the Pacers have been granted this season – they added Robinson-Earl on a 10-day agreement last weekend.

Two hardship players being needed seven games into a season is just absurd. And, by the rules, technically the Pacers were eligible to add Martin before they played Milwaukee on Monday – they could have used two 10-day emergency deals after just six games.

Martin has always been a decent player. He plays within himself and can both score and rebound at a useful level. His defense is acceptable, too – he's a bit undersized for a power forward, but he can play both the three and the four.

"Right now, with Furphy being out for a while, we had the ability to add someone. It makes sense to add a wing who is versatile, can play some different positions," head coach Rick Carlsile said of Martin. "He's a hard-playing, veteran guy."

With Obi Toppin and Johnny Furphy down, forwards were needed for the blue and gold. Quenton Jackson can play the two and Bennedict Mathurin can work at the three, but they too are out. So while the Pacers certainly need a point guard (more on that coming), adding a forward made good sense, too. Martin was in the rotation and contributed two points plus four rebounds on Wednesday.

The Pacers' hardship situation is difficult to track. Here's the best explainer I can provide. First, to even qualify for a 10-day hardship exception, all of the following have to be true:

A) A team has four players who have out for three-plus consecutive games
B) Said team must have a full 15-man roster
C) The four players from point A are expected to be out for at least two more weeks

Expected is emphasized intentionally, more to come on that. But to be clear, the Pacers have several players who have been out for three-plus games in a row. As has been written many times, here is the latest on the injury front with some expected updates/return timelines for Pacers players. Bolded players have missed three games in a row.

1. Tyrese Haliburton (achilles – out for season)
2. Obi Toppin (foot, hamstring – out multiple months, update in February)
3. Bennedict Mathurin (foot – week to week)
4. T.J. McConnell (hamstring – November 9 update timeline)
5. Kam Jones (back – November 9 update timeline)
6. Andrew Nembhard (shoulder – progressing, doing some on-court work)
7. Johnny Furphy (ankle – will miss all of Pacers upcoming road trip and perhaps more)
8. Quenton Jackson (hamstring – will miss all of Pacers upcoming road trip and perhaps more)

Got it? Goodness. It's almost unbelievable. So, let's get to more specifics for hardships.

Haliburton, Jones, and McConnell had missed three-straight games after the Pacers lost in Minnesota. Nembhard had missed three consecutive games after Pacers-Mavericks, and Mathurin had missed three in row after the Pacers played the Hawks. Without knowing the specifics of Nembhard's or Mathurin's return timeline – Carlsile said they are "Closer than they were two days ago,” and then, “they’re making progress.” – The Pacers were likely eligible for a hardship agreement after losing to Atlanta because of the recovery timelines for Haliburton, Jones, McConnell, and Mathurin. If Nembhard's injury timeline was longer, they could have signed Robinson-Earl a day early – so I'm guessing his timeline is shorter than other injured players.

Toppin's third-straight missed game came after the Pacers beat the Warriors. He, of course, will be out for a long time. So, technically, the Pacers could have added another hardship player at that time – prior to their battle with the Bucks. But with Jackson, Taelon Peter, and Furphy having recovered by that point, there wasn't an immediate need for another player. Nobody was signed.

Then... Furphy and Jackson went down (again) against the Bucks. Suddenly, the Pacers needed more talent to build a rotation. That's why they added Martin. Perhaps they could have done so earlier, but it wasn't a need until Furphy and Jackson went down.

Two-way players don't count toward the injury list when it comes to hardship contracts, so Jackson's absence won't be a consideration for the Pacers potentially getting another exception. But Furphy is set to miss three games in a row, at least, and will reach that benchmark after Sunday's game in the Bay against the Warriors.

An independent doctor determines if a player is expected to be out for two-plus weeks. Another rule to note – a player can technically return during the two-week period after the hardship is granted, but they can't return while the 10-day signee is still under contract. So, for example, the four players whose injuries made it possible for the Pacers to add Robinson-Earl can't return until November 11. For the quartet that made Martin's signing possible, November 14 is their first date of eligibility.

That's all factual. Now, let me make some educated guesses (guesses!) based on the progress I've been able to see for Pacers players and my sense on their returns.

1. For Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, the four absences that I believe were used to sign him to a hardship deal were Haliburton, Jones, McConnell and Mathurin. None of those four can return until Robinson-Earl's current deal is over.
2. For Cody Martin, my estimation for the four absences are Haliburton, Jones, Toppin, and Mathurin. None of those four players can return until Martin's 10-day contract ends.

Because hardship exceptions can be granted with overlapping players, the timelines for Mathurin, Nembhard, Jones, and McConnell will determine if the team is eligible for another one. Furphy's timeline will become relevant after Sunday, too – if he's expected to be out for a while, then a combination of Haliburton, Toppin and Furphy would get Indiana 75% of the way toward being eligible for another hardship.

Many player timelines are overlapping and not perfectly clear. Hopefully, this explanation is somewhat helpful in understanding the team's current situation.

Mac McClung out, Monte Morris in

The Pacers have officially signed Monte Morris, as I reported yesterday. They wanted to bring in Morris before training camp, but he was dealing with a calf injury. Since then, the team has been chasing the right reserve guards.

Delon Wright, in and out. Cam Payne, the same fate. Injuries forced the team to bring in Mac McClung by waiving James Wiseman, and he played in three games. But to sign Morris, the Pacers needed a roster spot. McClung was the player who the team let go.

McClung played in three games and averaged 6.3 points per game. His 12-point outing against Atlanta was impressive, and the young guard didn't look like somebody who was only on the team for a few days.

But the Pacers need a point guard immediately. They currently only have RayJ Dennis healthy, and even he has been managing back pain. Ben Sheppard and Peter have been the fill-in floor generals. A traditional point guard would go a long way.

Morris, a caretaker, is a setup man that can fill a needed role for blue and gold. It's a bummer for McClung, who didn't do anything wrong. The Pacers just have a bigger need now. Morris was a part of the Pacers free agent workout alongside McClung and Martin last week in Dallas.

McClung's two-year contract was completely non-guaranteed, so the Pacers cap hit for his 13 days of service time will be about $177k. I don't know the specifics of Morris' contract with any certainty, but I would suspect his deal is the same one he would have signed ahead of training camp (and the same one that Wright and Payne signed): a one-year, non-guaranteed minimum deal. That's a $2 million cap hit if he makes it through the season.

Morris will wear number three, McClung's previous jersey, and will meet the team in Denver. The Pacers could use him tomorrow as they try to get their second win.

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