Ben Sheppard’s return timeline just got a lot murkier.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said Wednesday’s surgery to repair the torn meniscus in Sheppard’s left knee means the wing is now expected to be sidelined for “months” rather than weeks, according to Tony East of Circle City Spin. That’s a tougher outcome than it initially sounded like when Carlisle previously indicated Sheppard would miss “weeks.”
The distinction matters. A meniscus procedure can go two different ways: a meniscectomy, which removes part of the meniscus and typically brings a shorter recovery, or a full repair of the tear, which takes much longer. Sheppard wound up needing the latter, and that’s why his absence is now being measured in months.
It’s a rough break for the 25-year-old, who is in the final year of his rookie scale deal and eligible for restricted free agency in 2027. If he finishes the season in Indiana, the Pacers will need to decide next summer whether to extend a qualifying offer worth $8MM. With this injury news, that decision looks far less straightforward.
Around the league, the Lakers said Luka Doncic and Ziaire Williams are expected to be back soon after sitting out Wednesday’s second game of a back-to-back. Doncic was dealing with back tightness, while Williams had left foot soreness.
Head coach JJ Redick called the move “cautious,” and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported the team is hopeful both players can return Friday in Golden State. Los Angeles is in the middle of a stretch of five games in seven days.
The Bulls may soon get a look at Nic Claxton, too. With a three-game road trip starting Friday in Boston, head coach Tiago Splitter said Thursday that Claxton will likely travel with the team, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. Claxton is working back from a left hamstring strain, has been doing conditioning work over the past week, and is getting close to his season debut, though traveling does not guarantee he’ll be available to play.
The Clippers also have several players progressing, but they won’t be making the trip to Minnesota on Friday or Golden State on Sunday. Max Strus, Brandon Ingram, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser are all rehabbing injuries in Los Angeles while the team is on the road. Strus is working back from a right plantar fascia tear, Ingram from right heel surgery, and Niederhauser from right foot surgery.
There is at least one possible return in the mix for Los Angeles: Rui Hachimura will travel with the team after missing Wednesday’s game because of left quad soreness, which points to a chance he could be back for one or both games.
In Other News...
Pacers Suddenly Have A Tyrese Haliburton Problem Before 76ers Game
The Pacers are carrying a familiar kind of early-season concern into their matchup with the 76ers, and it starts with Tyrese Haliburton. Indiana listed its star guard as questionable with left hamstring tightness, a reminder that every step of the guards return from a torn Achilles is going to be watched closely. The injury report also features several other Pacers players, leaving Indiana with more uncertainty than Philadelphia heading into the game.
For a team trying to build momentum after a rough previous season, that kind of uncertainty is the last thing it needs. The 76ers bring a shorter injury list, with four players unavailable, so the Pacers may have to sort through their own health concerns while trying to keep the offense organized without Haliburton at full strength. Even before tipoff, this one already feels like a test of depth and patience. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburtons Absence Leaves Pacers Facing A Brutal Early Test
Tyrese Haliburtons left hamstring strain has left Indiana staring at an early stretch that will ask plenty of a roster built around his pace and playmaking. The Pacers are still figuring out a clear timeline for his return, and the injury matters all the more because Haliburton has been the engine of the offense, averaging 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists while carrying the responsibility that came with his 2023 five-year extension.
Indiana is also dealing with the absence of center Ivica Zubac, who is out with a left ankle injury, adding another layer of difficulty to a frontcourt already under pressure. With two important pieces unavailable at once, the Pacers will have to sort through rotations and offensive structure without their usual stability, and the next update on Haliburtons recovery could shape how long this early test lasts. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Brown Just Reframed A Celtics Story Fans Still Debate
Jaylen Brown is back in the middle of a familiar Celtics conversation, only this time he is the one pushing back on it. Recent reports said he had issued a trade ultimatum, but Brown flatly denied ever making such demands and said he is focused on his current role with the Philadelphia 76ers. For a storyline that has lingered around Boston for a while, his response was a direct attempt to shut the door on it.
The timing makes it even more notable for Pacers fans, because the 76ers recent win over Indiana has already put Browns presence in Philadelphia under a brighter spotlight. His performance in that game added another layer to the discussion, especially with the trade chatter still floating around and Brown dismissing it as false. Even without the Celtics angle being fully settled in the public eye, his insistence on where things stand now gives the whole episode a different tone. [Read more 🡒]