Pacers Announce Surprise Injury Update on TJ McConnell Ahead of Jazz Game

Sep 27, 2019; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard TJ McConnell (9) poses for a photo during media day at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers and head coach Rick Carlisle have announced a surprise injury update on reserve point guard T.J. McConnell. The 33-year-old has missed the team's entire 1-9 season with a strained left hamstring.

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Per Indiana and Carlisle, McConnell will return for Tuesday night's clash with the Utah Jazz.

T.J. McConnell (left hamstring strain) is available for tonight's game against the Jazz, per Coach Carlisle. pic.twitter.com/qYQ5aOREhT

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) November 12, 2025

Indiana has also received some other encouraging health news. Two-way signing Taelon Peter, who had been questionable due to a strained right groin, has been given the green light to return.

Taelon Peter and T.J. McConnell are both available for tonight's game against the Jazz. https://t.co/dsW7l07JxD

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) November 12, 2025

Indiana selected Peter, a 6-foot-3 guard out of Liberty University, with the No. 54 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. In his seven healthy bouts, Peter is averaging 1.7 points on 21.4 percent field goal shooting and 100 percent free throw shooting, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists.

Beyond those two positive guard upgrades, Indiana remains pretty banged-up. Two-time All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton, of course, remains out for the year recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture. Backup power forward Obi Toppin is on the mend from a right foot stress fracture, and will be out until at least February.

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Otherwise, the Pacers are particularly depleted elsewhere in the backcourt. Guards Bennedict Mathurin (right great toe sprain), Johnny Furphy (left ankle sprain), Quenton Jackson (right hamstring strain), and Kam Jones (lower back stress reaction) are all on the shelf.

McConnell is the Pacers' longest-tenured player, having been on the roster since 2019-20. In 79 bouts with the 50-win Pacers last season, McConnell starred in his role as an energy-shifting reserve. He averaged 9.1 points while slashing .519/.306/.740, plus 4.4 dimes, 2.4 boards, and 1.1 steals per.

McConnell's Prior Durability

The Arizona product is in the first season of a four-year, $44.8 million veteran contract extension he inked with Indiana in the summer of 2024. He'll have a player option for $11.8 million in 2028-29, when he'll be 36.

Aside from an outlier 27-game season in 2021-22, McConnell has managed to be fairly durable during his Pacers tenure, averaging 73 bouts across his other five seasons with the club.

Indiana will take all the healthy bodies it can get, as the club seeks to get back in the winners' circle against a 3-7 Utah squad that could prove fairly beatable.

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