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Hornets at Pacers: Money on the Floor, February 26, 2026
Back in July, the Pacers ruled Haliburton out for the 2025-26 season shortly after the star point guard underwent surgery to address the Achilles tendon he tore in Indiana's loss to Oklahoma City in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. While the Pacers' stance with Haliburton doesn't appear to have changed amid a non-contending season, the 25-year-old is seemingly coming along even faster than anticipated during his rehab process. If Haliburton is able to advance to 5-on-5 work by the spring, he'll likely be in line for a relatively normal offseason and should be free of restrictions for the start of training camp next fall.
Siakam entered the day listed as doubtful due to a left wrist sprain and has since been downgraded to out. Obi Toppin (foot) has been cleared to return Thursday but will be on a minutes limit, presumably leaving Kobe Brown, Ben Sheppard and Micah Potter to pick up additional minutes in the frontcourt.
Zubac was traded from Los Angeles to Indiana on Feb. 5 but has yet to make his Pacers debut due to a left ankle sprain. It appears likely that the 15-40 Pacers will give the big man ample time to ramp up, as they aren't expected to make a postseason push. In the meantime, Jay Huff and Micah Potter should continue to see significant minutes. Zubac should be considered week-to-week until Indiana offers an update on his progress.
Nesmith was already ruled out for Sunday's game against the Mavericks due to a right ankle sprain, and his next chance to play seemingly won't be until Sunday, March 1 against the Grizzlies. Kam Jones, Ben Sheppard, Quenton Jackson and Kobe Brown will all have the opportunity to take on expanded roles in Nesmith's absence.
Furphy started in 21 of 35 regular-season appearances for the Pacers, posting averages of 5.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.7 three-pointers in 18.4 minutes per contest. While no timetable has been announced, Furphy's absence could extend through the beginning of the 2026-27 season. With this news, the Pacers will likely lean more on Ben Sheppard, Kam Jones and Quenton Jackson moving forward.
