Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell will be sidelined for at least one month after suffering a left hamstring strain, head coach Rick Carlisle announced today (Twitter link via the team).
McConnell was forced to leave Tuesday’s preseason opener in the second quarter due to the injury.
Obviously, it’s a disappointing development for the Pacers, who will be without star point guard Tyrese Haliburton for the entire season after he sustained a torn Achilles tendon in the first quarter of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Second-round pick Kam Jones, another guard, is expected to miss multiple weeks with a back injury.
McConnell, 33, is entering his 11th NBA season and seventh with Indiana.
The veteran backup appeared in 79 regular season contests in 2024/25, averaging 9.1 points, 4.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 17.9 minutes per game. He also had a strong playoff showing, with very similar averages — 9.5 PPG, 4.0 APG, 3.3 RPG, 0.9 SPG — in 23 games (17.5 MPG).
Indiana originally intended to sign Monte Morris to compete for a spot as the third-string point guard behind Andrew Nembhard and McConnell, but the deal fell through when Morris suffered a calf strain. Veteran Delon Wright was signed instead, but was released Thursday morning in favor of Cameron Payne after Wright took two brutal blows to the head during Tuesday’s preseason opener.
Wright announced on social media (Twitter link) that he needed 10 stitches above his right eye and four on his right elbow, but is “doing good” otherwise.
According to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, Payne will likely be the second-string point guard while McConnell recovers. Carlisle discussed the transactions this afternoon.
“It just didn’t work out with Delon,” Carlisle said, per Dopirak. “Cam’s here. We’ve seen a lot of Cam the last two years with Milwaukee and New York. He’s a guy we always had to account for in scouts and what not. It’s a great opportunity for him.”
“His speed, his long-range shooting ability is high level,” Carlisle said when asked what he likes about Payne’s game. “He’s experienced, knows the game, has good feel, and he’s a play-maker.”