Rick Carlisle Explains Pacers’ Player Management Plan

Carlisle sheds light on Pacers' player management before game against New York.

Mar 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle at a press conference at the Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Before the Indiana Pacers’ game against the New York Knicks on Friday night, head coach Rick Carlisle addressed the media to clarify how the team has been managing player minutes and rest days during the final stretch of the season.

Carlisle emphasized that the organization has remained in constant communication with the NBA league office regarding its approach.

The Pacers are navigating a demanding schedule while also dealing with injuries and roster limitations, which has required careful planning.

Here is Carlisle’s full explanation:

“I know there’s a lot of noise out there about this, that and the other. We talk to a gentleman at the league office before every game. This goes back to mid-January. They’re looking out for the sanctity of the game. There’s a lot going on, etc. Yesterday in particular, we talked with the league and they talked with us. I’m not sure who calls who, but our general manager, Chad Buchanan, and our head trainer, Josh Corbeil, are talking with these guys on a very, very consistent basis.”

Carlisle explained that the Pacers recently entered a particularly difficult stretch of the schedule.

“We explained to them that heading into this stretch — five games in seven days — with two guys that had just gone down with injuries, that being Quenton Jackson and Pascal Siakam, we were going to be really strapped trying to get through these five games with only two off days without having to be really strategic with how to do that, and how to use the guys on two-way contracts.”

Because of those restrictions, the Pacers must carefully manage the number of games their two-way players appear in.

“Two of them [Taelon Peter and Jalen Slawson] have 11–12 games left that they can play, and Ethan Thompson has nine. We have to be strategic about that. None of those guys will be active tonight. We’re saving their games.”

Mar 12, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard/forward Andrew Nembhard (2) dribbles the ball while Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Carlisle also confirmed that certain minutes restrictions have been planned in advance and communicated to the league.

“Last night Zubac and Nembhard would only play the first half. That was planned. The league was made aware of that. And they were made aware of our plans to try to work through this very busy period.”

The Pacers coach stressed that the communication with the NBA has been ongoing for months.

“I just want to make it clear that these conversations are ongoing. They have been very frequent. To my knowledge they began really back in January. We rested four guys in Detroit after a busy week where we played three games in five days at home and then had a back-to-back. There was conversation about that, and they understood our position.”

Carlisle also pointed to the physical toll of the NBA season as a factor in the team’s decision-making.

“The NBA season is a lot of wear and tear. And we’re competing — our guys are competing hard in these games. Pascal went a hard 30 minutes in Portland and came up with a swollen right knee.”

Mar 8, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) is fouled by Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (35) as he drives to the basket during the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

He emphasized that the Pacers are being proactive in their communication with the league.

“Everything is very proactive. We’re very proactive with reporting. They’re proactive with talking to us. We’re not going to make public our exact plans for every game — that would be foolish. It would be a bad decision from a strategy standpoint.”

Carlisle concluded by reiterating that both the Pacers and the NBA are carefully monitoring the situation.

“I just want to explain that all of this stuff is very carefully monitored from both perspectives — the league perspective and from the team perspective. I’m certain, I don’t know everybody else’s business, but I’m certain they’re talking very consistently to other teams that are in our situation as well.”

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