Hamstring injury sidelines Pacers guard T.J. McConnell for at least one month
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INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Pacers reserve point guard T.J. McConnell is expected to miss a minimum of four weeks after straining his hamstring during the team’s first preseason game, head coach Rick Carlisle said Thursday.
McConnell, 33, left Tuesday night’s exhibition against the Minnesota Timberwolves after suffering the injury. Carlisle described the issue as “not as bad as it could have been,” but emphasized the recovery will take time.
To shore up depth at the position, Indiana signed veteran guard Cameron Payne to a training-camp contract on Thursday and waived guard Delon Wright, who exited the same preseason game early with a head injury.
McConnell averaged 9.1 points and 4.4 assists over 79 games last season, then contributed 9.5 points and 4 assists across 23 postseason contests as the Pacers advanced to the NBA Finals.
The backcourt is already thin after All-Star Tyrese Haliburton ruptured his Achilles in Game 7 of the Finals loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and was ruled out for the entire 2025-26 season. Andrew Nembhard is slated to start at point guard in Haliburton’s absence.
Indiana opens the regular season on Oct. 23 against Oklahoma City in a Finals rematch.
Source: ESPN
