The beginning of the 2025-26 NBA season has not gone well for the Indiana Pacers, who started the campaign with a 1-7 record, and a lot of that has to do with the injuries they've been dealing with.
Most notably, the Pacers are going to be without star guard Tyrese Haliburton for the season as he recovers from an Achilles injury. But Indiana's injury report has multiplied numerous times over just two weeks into the season. This is especially true regarding their point guards.
Already, the Pacers are without some key players, such as Bennedict Mathurin and Obi Toppin. But they also don't have a single healthy point guard. In addition to Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, T.J. McConnell, Kam Jones, and Quenton Jackson are all on the shelf due to injuries. And while he is still technically active, RayJ Dennis is dealing with a back sprain and has played a combined 13 minutes in his last two games.
As it stands, Indiana is starting Ben Sheppard at point guard, which is not ideal. He can do the job in a pinch, but the Georgia native is not a traditional point guard at the NBA level.
The Pacers have a lot of problems to address so far this season, but their point guard situation may be at the top of that list. On Thursday, they made a move to do exactly that by bringing in a face that some Pacers fans may be familiar with.
Pacers made a much-needed move at point guard
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Pacers signed veteran point guard Monte Morris after releasing Mac McClung, who appeared in three games for the team.
The Indiana Pacers are signing veteran point guard Monte Morris with their newly open roster spot, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/LhaFPnfl8Q
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 6, 2025
If this sounds like déjà vu, this wouldn't be entirely wrong.
The Pacers initially signed Morris to a one-year deal back in September ahead of training camp. At the time, Haliburton was the only point guard on the shelf for Indiana. However, the team opted to cut ties with the 30-year-old due to a calf injury.
This isn't a blockbuster move for the Pacers, but it was a necessary one. Morris is a reliable point guard who provides value as a three-point shooter (he is a career 38.9% shooter from deep) and as a playmaker, averaging 3.7 assists to just 0.7 turnovers for his career. Perhaps most importantly, though, he is an extra body for the Pacers that they very desperately needed.
Morris is an eight-year vet and should be a solid addition to the Pacers. He's not likely to put up Haliburton numbers, but at this point, the team needs all the help they can get. Fortunately for them, it seems like that's exactly what they're getting with Morris back on the squad.