The Indiana Pacers may be heading into Wednesday’s opener without one of their most familiar reserves.
T.J. McConnell sat out the entire preseason, and his status for the game against the New Orleans Pelicans is still up in the air. When Rick Carlisle was asked on Oct. 15 whether McConnell would be available, the Pacers coach said the team was "working on it" and added, "We hope so."
Indiana has not formally announced the injury. Fieldhouse Files' Scott Agness reported it as a hamstring strain, the same issue McConnell dealt with in last year’s preseason.
Agness noted that four Pacers had hamstring strains during the first month of camp: McConnell, Larry Nance Jr., Quenton Jackson, and Aaron Nesmith. McConnell was the only one of that group who never got into an exhibition game.
His absence began with Indiana’s FanJam scrimmage on Oct. 4, which Carlisle described as a physical considerations situation, according to Pacers On SI. McConnell then missed the preseason games against Minnesota in Ames, Iowa, on Oct.
7, Atlanta on Oct. 10, Oklahoma City on Oct. 13 and Milwaukee on Oct.
The history here is hard to ignore. A year ago, McConnell strained his left hamstring in the preseason opener at Minnesota on Oct. 7, 2025, and Carlisle said two days later that he would be out for at least a month. He wound up missing the first 10 games of the regular season.
McConnell’s value has been obvious in Indiana’s recent success. In 2024-25, he put up 9.1 points and 4.4 assists across 79 games, and his 348 assists off the bench led the NBA. During the Pacers’ run to the 2025 NBA Finals, he averaged 9.5 points and 4.0 assists in 23 playoff games.
At 34, he is the longest-tenured player on the roster.
If he can’t go, Quenton Jackson is positioned to handle the backup point guard minutes behind Tyrese Haliburton, according to Agness’ opening-night depth chart. Rookie Braden Smith, who is on a two-way contract, is the other option, and Haliburton has compared Smith’s passing to McConnell’s.
Jackson says his job with the second unit is straightforward: get the offense moving, make sure everyone gets involved and keep the defense active.
"Just a lot of movement, everything," Jackson said. "I just kind of come in and be an extension of TJ in some extent.
That way we can keep the flow, keep the pace. Obviously, with TJ out, it's a lot more ball handling from other places.
So we just try to keep energy, keep the pace in the game."
Indiana wrapped up the preseason 1-3, with overtime losses in its final two games. Andrew Nembhard, Nesmith and Jarace Walker also missed at least one of those contests. The Pacers’ first injury report of the season is due Tuesday afternoon.
In Other News...
Pacers Open The Season With A Problem They Didn't Want
The Pacers are heading into opening night already juggling their rotation, with Aaron Nesmith ruled out because of a left hamstring strain. His absence leaves a gap on the wing right away, and it puts some early pressure on a group that was supposed to settle into roles quickly as the season got going.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is the likely fill-in at small forward, while the coaching staff may have to lean more heavily on bench options such as Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard. Indiana is also still without T.J. McConnell, who remains sidelined with a right hamstring strain, so the early-season backcourt and wing depth will be tested before the Pacers even get fully underway. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers New Veteran Just Reinforced What Makes This Team Different
Larry Nance Jr. is the latest veteran to land in Indianapolis, and even before the season gets rolling, he has already put a spotlight on why the Pacers keep drawing players who believe in the way the organization operates. After signing a one-year contract, Nance described the teams culture as authentic and hardworking, which fits the image Rick Carlisle and Chad Buchanan have tried to build around clear roles and a straightforward approach to the game.
Indiana has quietly continued adding experienced depth, with Kelly Oubre Jr. and Ivica Zubac also joining the roster as new veterans. James Johnson was brought in on a training camp deal before being waived ahead of the season, though there is still a possibility the Pacers could circle back to him later, another reminder that this group is still shaping itself around the kind of dependable, buy-in players that seem to thrive there. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Open With Two Key Absences And A Huge Haliburton Question
The Pacers will have to open the season without a couple of familiar rotation pieces, with T.J. McConnell sidelined by a right hamstring strain and Aaron Nesmith out because of a left hamstring strain. Johnny Furphy is also unavailable as he continues to come back from right ACL surgery, leaving Indiana to adjust its backcourt and wing depth before the first tip of the year.
The bigger relief for Indiana is that Tyrese Haliburton has been cleared to return and is expected to play in the opener. Even with their point guard back in the mix, the Pacers will be forced to sort out how they cover for the missing minutes around him, and the early lineup choices could tell a lot about how this team plans to manage the first stretch of the season. [Read more 🡒]