Pacers field six-man roster
Injury and rest decisions left Indiana with $15 million in active salary for Monday's game against Atlanta.
By Elena Perry ·
The Indiana Pacers faced the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night with a roster of just six players. Eleven others, representing roughly 93% of the team's payroll, were unavailable due to injury or rest. This shortage forced the coaching staff to rely on a minimal group to compete.
Coach Rick Carlisle noted that the team expected seven players to be available until about 90 minutes before tip-off. The situation changed when Kelly Oubre Jr. was ruled out with a bruised knee. This late scratch reduced the active count to six, a number not seen in a Pacers game since 2004.
The missing list included Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Johnny Furphy, T.J. McConnell, Larry Nance Jr., Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Ben Sheppard, Obi Toppin, and Ivica Zubac. Reasons ranged from hamstring and knee issues to illness and lumbar sprains. Some players were out for weeks, while others were resting for the second night of a back-to-back.
The financial disparity between the active and inactive rosters was stark. Jarace Walker was the only player on the court earning more than $3 million in salary. The inactive group held approximately $193 million in total salary, while the six active players accounted for about $15 million. The previous low for active players this season was eight, set by Philadelphia on Oct. 25.
Historical context shows this is a rare occurrence early in a season. Only one other team has used six players in the first few weeks of a season since 2009. That instance occurred on Nov. 24, 2009, when the Golden State Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 111-103. Other instances of six-player rosters in the last 15 seasons typically occurred in low-stakes games near the end of the year.
The starting lineup consisted of Braden Smith, Jarace Walker, Jalen Slawson, Jay Huff, and Quenton Jackson. Smith made his first NBA career start in the game. Kobe Brown was the sole reserve, entering from the bench. Carlisle described the scenario as a perfect storm, noting that the team had to be smart with its limited resources.
Indiana will not play on Tuesday as the league observes Election Day. The team is also off on Thursday and Friday. Their next scheduled game is on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
