Pacers cannot catch a break following brutal Isaiah Jackson update

During Friday night's loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, backup center Isaiah Jackson was forced to leave the game early due to a non-contact leg injury. Though nothing was made official immediately after the game, the expectation was that Jackson may have suffered an Achilles injury. Roughly 24 hours later, ESPN's Shams Charania confirmed that this was the case for the big man.

According to Charania, Jackson suffered a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon. With the Pacers having already lost backup big man James Wiseman to an Achilles injury during the first game of the season, Indiana's only healthy center is Myles Turner, though he has already missed a game due to an ankle injury.

Through five games, including one start, Jackson averaged 7 points on 60.9% shooting, 5.6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1.6 blocks. Heading into the year, he was primed for a breakout campaign, and it looked like he was well on his way. Unfortunately for him and the Pacers, this is another setback in what has been a concerning start to their 2024-25 campaign.

Isaiah Jackson suffers season-ending injury, is set to hit free agency next year

Late in October, the Pacers and Jackson did not come to terms on a rookie-scale contract extension to keep him around past this season. Because of this, the 22-year-old, who is in the final year of his rookie deal, will hit free agency next offseason. Whether he will be a restricted or unrestricted free agent depends on whether Indiana extends a $6.4 million qualifying offer to him or not.

This season was going to be a bit of an audition for Jackson as he was set to be the team's primary backup center for the first full season of his career. In theory, if he played well enough in his role, the Pacers would have easily brought him back next season. However, given his injury, while it is still a real possibility he will come back next summer, it is not a guarantee anymore.

Jackson has been with the Pacers since the team acquired him during the 2021 NBA Draft and offers a lot of value on the court. He has great potential and could be a key player for the Pacers in the future. However, as it pertains to the rest of the 2024-25 campaign, things are not looking good for Indiana.

The Pacers are currently 2-4 and don't look like the team that made the conference finals last season. They have already lost their two backup centers to season-ending Achilles injuries and look rough on the court. There is still plenty of time for the Pacers to turn things around, but right now, it seems that things are only getting worse for the team.