Preseason Status Uncertain for Pacers Guards

INDIANAPOLIS -- Sunday afternoon the Indiana Pacers hosted their annual FanJam at Gainbridge Fieldhouse where they played an intrasquad scrimmage game in front of a sold-out crowd.

Notably missing from the game was the longest tenured Pacer, T.J. McConnell. At practice on Tuesday afternoon before the Pacers make their way to Ames, Iowa for a preseason battle against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Rick Carlisle was asked by Tony East of Forbes and Circle City Spin about the injury status of McConnell.

Carlisle said the reason he did not participate in the FanJam was for "physical considerartions". He did not have clarity on whether or not McConnell would be able to play in the first preseason game. According to East, Carlisle said that the status for McConnell would be revealed on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.

In addition to McConnell, Quenton Jackson also was absent from the Pacers FanJam intrasqaud scrimmage due to "physical considerations".

Similarly to McConnell, Carlisle did not have a definitive answer on Jackson's status for the Pacers preseason game against the Timberwolves. His status will also be revealed before the game tomorrow.

Next Man Up

Sep 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Braden Smith (3) poses for a photo during media day. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If McConnell and Jackson are both set to miss time against the Timberwolves, this would allow for a significant amount of playing time for rookie point guard and Purdue standout, Braden Smith.

During the FanJam scrimmage, Smith was the lone point guard for the Blue Team and played solidly in the 39-28 victory. It will be his first real test against NBA-level players and will allow the coaching staff to see where he has improved since Summer League.

The minutes allotted to the starters is still undetermined, but usually starters don't play a heavy dose during the preseason. With this game being played at Tyrese Haliburton's alma mater, Iowa State, he could play more than usual, but it's highly unlikely.

This means the Pacers could stagger lineups more to have Nembhard as an additional point guard option, but I would still anticipate Smith playing more than overexerting the starters.

You can watch tomorrow night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on DAZN, or if you are out of state, the game will be aired on NBA TV.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

Don’t miss our next story. Make Pacers on SI a Preferred Source on Google to see more from us in your search results.Click Here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google