Veteran guard Edmond Sumner has been diagnosed with a torn left Achilles tendon, according to the Pacers, who said in a press release that Sumner sustained the injury during an offseason workout on Thursday.
Sumner will be out indefinitely, per the team. While the Pacers aren’t definitively stating yet that the 25-year-old will be out for the entire 2021/22 season, the rehab and recovery process for an Achilles tear typically takes the better part of a calendar year.
It’s a brutal blow for Sumner, who had a career year in 2020/21, playing a career-high 16.2 minutes per game and earning 24 starts in 53 contests. The 6’4″ guard averaged 7.5 PPG and 1.8 RPG with an impressive shooting line of .525/.398/.819, and had his $2.32MM team option picked up by Indiana for the 2021/22 season.
Since Sumner is in the final year of his contract, the Pacers may eventually waive him if they don’t think he’ll be back this season and need his spot on the 15-man roster, but there’s no rush to make a move yet. Sumner’s $2.32MM salary is guaranteed, so he’ll earn it whether or not he finishes the season with the club.
It has been a rough week of injury updates for the Pacers, who announced on Tuesday that T.J. Warren‘s recovery from a left foot stress fracture is progressing slower than they’d hoped. It appears the team will be down at least two players when training camps open later this month.
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