Pacers Forward Undergoing Surgery, Will Miss Majority of Season

May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) celebrates with forward Obi Toppin (1) during the second half of game five against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers already entered the 2025-26 season with two-time All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton — out for the year recovering from an Achilles tendon tear — or rim-rolling starting center Myles Turner — who defected to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Now, they're going to be without a third key player from their charmed 2024-25 run to the NBA Finals for most of the season.

More news: Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Provides New Injury Update on Himself

Marc Stein of The Stein Line reports that reserve power forward Obi Toppin will be on the shelf through most of the year. Head coach Rick Carlisle has revealed, ahead of Indiana's first NBA Cup game on Friday night, that Toppin will undergo right foot surgery to treat a previously diagnosed stress reaction and be unavailable until at least February.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle told reporters pregame tonight that Obi Toppin requires foot surgery that will likely sideline him until February.

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 31, 2025

The 6-foot-9 Dayton product, 27, was only healthy for two games before the injury. In those contests, he averaged an encouraging 16.5 points on 43.3 percent field goal shooting and 100 percent free throw shooting, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 32.8 minutes per.

The Pacers have been absolutely rocked by health issues all year, beyond just Haliburton and Toppin.

According to the league's latest injury report, Indiana could be without as many as seven players for its Halloween Emirates NBA Cup debut, a clash against the Trae Young-less Atlanta Hawks.

More news: Myles Turner Was 'Shocked' by Pacers Offer in Free Agency

Beyond Haliburton and Toppin, Indiana will be missing guards Bennedict Mathurin (right great toe sprain), T.J. McConnell (left hamstring strain), Andrew Nembhard (left shoulder strain), Kam Jones (lower back stress reaction), and Johnny Furphy (left foot bone bruise).

Toppin, 27, is in the second season of a four-year, $58 million deal he agreed to with Indiana in the summer of 2024, after a solid playoff showing against his old squad, the New York Knicks. He's been a productive player for Indiana, and was going to be leaned upon more than normal this season as Carlisle reconfigured his frontcourt without a true, long-term replacement option for the departed Turner available.

Time to Tank?

With this latest long-term absence, the ripple effect is two-fold: Carlisle will lean more on younger pieces like Jarace Walker and Isaiah Jackson to play at the four, and Indiana may opt to explore a full-on tank sooner rather than later.

The club's health woes could be a blessing in disguise, as nabbing a 2026 lottery pick — in what's expected to be a loaded year — would give a Finals-caliber team (assuming Haliburton and Toppin are themselves when they return, and the Pacers figure out a permanent Turner replacement) a young possible star on a cheap deal under long-term team control.

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