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...
Clippers Got Bullied In Every Important Area Against The Lakers
The Lakers spent most of the night making the Clippers look small in the places that usually decide a game. Quentin Grimes led Los Angeles with 23 points in a 103-87 win, and the supporting cast did plenty of the heavy lifting too, with Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Matisse Thybulle and Walker Kessler all helping tilt the game in the Lakers favor. The edge showed up everywhere that mattered, from the paint to the glass to the open floor.
For the Clippers, the numbers told a frustrating story because they could not protect the ball or recover enough second-chance opportunities to keep pace. The Lakers turned the game into a physical, turnover-heavy slog and made sure the Clippers paid for every mistake, which is exactly the sort of loss that lingers because it exposes so many problems at once. How quickly the Clippers clean that up will say a lot about whether this was just a bad night or a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhi Leonards Raptors Season Just Took A Tough Early Turn
Kawhi Leonards new start in Toronto was already unusual, with the Raptors waiting out an NBA investigation into possible salary-cap circumvention before the trade from the Clippers was finally completed. Once the deal went through, the immediate focus shifted from the paperwork to Leonards health, and the early signs were not encouraging as swelling in his left knee forced him to the sideline right away.
The hope around the Raptors has been that Leonard can get fully right before he steps back on the floor and becomes the kind of difference-maker they brought him in to be. For now, the organization is still navigating the uncertainty that comes with a star arrival delayed by injury, and the next stretch will matter as much for patience as it does for the long-term championship picture. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Just Sent A Troubling Message About Their Injured Roster
The Clippers have turned to Blake Wesley on a 10-day contract, an early-season move that speaks to how thin the roster has become. Signed under a hardship exception, Wesley is back with Los Angeles after being waived following training camp, giving the team another guard option as it tries to navigate a stretch of absences.
The timing matters because the Clippers had to qualify for the exception by showing multiple players had already missed three straight games, a sign the injury situation is not just a one-night issue. Wesley is set to be with the team through November 7, and if the roster picture does not improve, there is a path for L.A. to keep him around a little longer. [Read more 🡒]