Pacers Scramble to Sign Ex-Hawks PG Under Hardship Exception as Desperate Effort to Revive Guard Depth Amid Brutal Injury Wave

NBA: Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks - Source: Imagn
Pacers Scramble to Sign Ex-Hawks PG Under Hardship Exception as Desperate Effort to Revive Guard Depth. (image Source: Imagn)

The Indiana Pacers are going through a rough guard crisis as almost all of their starting guards are sidelined with injuries. According to ESPN, the Pacers have five guards on their injury list.

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They secured a 127-118 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. However, Aaron Nesmith, who has been sidelined with a knee injury, did not play in that game. He is now expected to be out for at least four weeks.

Nesmith's absence from a game for a third consecutive time made the Pacers eligible to use the hardship exception and bring in a new guard. According to Tony East from Forbes Sport, Indiana is considering signing former Hawks player Garrison Mathews.

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Mathews has been out of the league for almost two years. He last played for the Hawks in the 2023-24 season. He played 45 games coming off the bench, while starting only two.

He averaged 7.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on 39.7% shooting. He was not an extraordinary player, and bringing him would not solve Indiana's roster problems. However, having him would allow Indiana to continue their season and let their guards recover.

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Indiana Pacers to sign Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and waive Monte Morris

The Indiana Pacers have plans to sign Jeremian Robinson to the main contract, as his 10-day contract expires on Thursday. According to Tony East, Robinson-Earl is not eligible for another 10-day contract, so the blue and gold are making room for him on the main roster.

NBA teams are allowed to sign players to a 10-day contract for a maximum of two times in one season. Robinson-Earl has already reached that limit, which makes him ineligible for another contract of the same caliber. Indiana had originally signed Monte Morris in November to solve their guard crisis. However, as Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell returned to the lineup, Morris's role shrank.

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The veteran guard has averaged 3.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg and 1.5 apg in six games for the blue and gold. However, Indiana has preferred to retain Robinson-Earl in the frontcourt. The forward has proven himself and gained the head coach's trust. He is averaging 4.2 ppg and 6.2 rpg.

Morris's departure would shrink the guard depth for the Pacers, and this is where the Garrison Mathews signing fits into the picture. Indiana is doing everything it can to stay afloat this season. However, they look entirely different from the team they were last season.

They are the 14th-place team (2-13) in the Eastern Conference standings right now.

Pacers Fan? Check out the latest Indiana Pacers depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

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Edited by Avi Shravan
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