Pacers Cut Ties With Guard Days After Signing Him

Apr 6, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Monte Morris (23) warms up before the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

In a stunning turn of events, veteran guard Monte Morris will no longer be a member of the Indiana Pacers.

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General manager Chad Buchanan shared that Morris will no longer be signing with the team due to a strained calf.

Update: Monte Morris won't sign with Pacers due to strained calf, per GM Buchanan. https://t.co/cP2hab9qeW

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) September 25, 2025

Morris initially signed a one-year deal with the Pacers on Tuesday. ESPN's Shams Charania was the first to report on the news.

Free agent guard Monte Morris has agreed to a one-year deal with the Indiana Pacers, Andy Shiffman and Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. Entering his ninth NBA season, Morris provides backcourt depth to the Pacers. pic.twitter.com/eus9ogPcM4

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 23, 2025

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The 30-year-old was set to play with his sixth different team in his NBA career.

In eight NBA seasons thus far, Morris has averaged 9.5 points per game, 1.6 assists, and 1.5 rebounds, while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from deep.

The 30-year-old was set to play with his sixth different team in his NBA career. However, with the injury Morris just suffered, it's safe to say that he will start the season not on an NBA roster.

It's unclear how severe this calf injury is for the veteran guard. In the meantime, the Pacers will likely turn back to the open market to fill the guard position.

They must do so as they'll be without their superstar guard Tyrese Haliburton for the entire 2025-26 season. Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

His progress is going well, but with Haliburton out of the lineup for the upcoming season, the Pacers' clear weak link will be the guard position.

As things stand, the Pacers' guard consists of Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell. Both have been vital pieces for the Pacers over the past few years. While that is the case, the Pacers still lack a reliable ball handler night in and night out as the season approaches.

The Pacers' offseason has consisted of some losses. Their most significant loss was losing their star big man, Myles Turner, to their rivals, the Milwaukee Bucks.

Turner, who spent his first 10 seasons of his career in Indiana, will now spend his next four seasons in Milwaukee.

The Pacers will enter the 2025-26 season with low expectations, but as they did last year, they will look to surprise many people, although they will be without their best player for the 82-game season.

For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, visit Indiana Pacers on SI.