How hard have injuries hit the Pacers this season? We’re not even 10 games into the season, and today Indiana made its fourth roster move to try to plug the holes left by all the players out with injuries.
The latest move is to waive recently signed guard Mac McClung and replace him on the roster with veteran Monte Morris, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and confirmed by other reports.
Indiana had considered bringing in Morris to training camp, but he was dealing with a calf strain that was likely to keep him out most or all of camp, so the Pacers pivoted. Now, Morris is healthy, Indiana is even more desperate for help at the point, and the two are finally getting together. Morris, 30, is an eight-year NBA veteran who spent last season in Phoenix, averaging 5.2 points a night across 45 games (and less than 13 minutes per game).
This is unfortunate for McClung, the three-time Dunk Contest champion and former G-League MVP, who had signed a multi-year but non-guaranteed contract with the Pacers. He is now a free agent.
Indiana’s guard depth has been decimated by injuries this season: Tyrese Haliburton (out for season, torn Achilles), Bennedict Mathurin (foot), Andrew Nembhard (shoulder), and T.J.McConnell (hamstring) are all out right now. (That’s not to mention frontcourt players Obi Toppin, Johnny Furphy and Kam Jones.)