The Indiana Pacers received some good news regarding Bennedict Mathurin amid their injury-plagued campaign. The Pacers have experienced a ridiculous number of injuries since Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, when Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon.
Mathurin was playing well in his first two games of the season before suffering a big toe sprain on his right foot on October 25 against the Memphis Grizzlies. He wasn’t given a timeline of recovery, but he was considered week-to-week, according to James Boyd of The Athletic.
Speaking to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star on November 15, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle shared some positive news regarding Mathurin’s recovery.
“He’s getting close. We did a simulated game kind of workout this morning. He went through things in prep today. He’s moving in a good direction,” Carlisle said.
In addition to Mathurin, the Pacers endured injuries to players like TJ McConnell, Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin, Aaron Nesmith, Johnny Furphy, Quenton Jackson and Kam Jones this season. McConnell and Nembhard have made their return, but Nesmith was the most recent casualty and has been ruled out for a month with a knee injury.
Mathurin Listed as GTD Ahead of Pacers’ Next Game
The Indiana Pacers haven’t released their official injury report for Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons. However, ESPN seems to be anticipating Bennedict Mathurin’s potential return. They have listed Mathurin as GTD, or Game-Time Decision, ahead of their next game.
Players with that kind of designation means the availability is uncertain until the start of the game. Mathurin is expected to go through team warm-ups before the Pacers’ medical team clears him to return. It’s up to the coaching staff if they are going to put him on a minutes-restriction upon his first game back from injury.
Due to the number of injuries that have struck Indiana, it won’t be surprising if they want to monitor Mathurin’s minutes to avoid a potential re-aggravation. Andrew Nembhard’s minutes has been capped at around 30 per game in the first five games since coming back from a shoulder injury on November 8, as per CBS Sports.
TJ McConnell, on the other hand, has not exceeded 16 minutes per game in his first three games since returning from a left hamstring strain.
Mathurin Set to Become a Free Agent Next Summer
The Indiana Pacers could be in danger of losing Bennedict Mathurin next offseason. Mathurin and the Pacers failed to agree on an extension before the start of the season. He will be a restricted free agent, which means he can sign with any team, though Indiana can match any contract.
Mathurin was unbothered with not receiving an extension and was looking forward to increasing his value this season.
“It’s not that big of a deal, man. Obviously, I would’ve loved to, but I’m not worried about that. It’s just about going into the game, going into the season with my mind straight knowing that, you know what? I’m going to have a great season. I can actually be who I’ve been wanting to be. There’s no worries for me about no extension,” Mathurin told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star before the season opener.
Mathurin is averaging 31.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game before his toe injury. He was also shooting 54.8% from the field and 50.0% from beyond the arc.
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