Indiana Pacers center Isaiah Jackson reportedly has sustained a torn right Achilles tendon, and his season is over, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
The Pacers have taken another blow to the frontcourt with the injury to Isaiah Jackson, as James Wiseman is also out for the season with an Achilles tear. Jackson suffered the injury during the 125-118 loss against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, and head coach Rick Carlisle said he did not know the severity of the injury after the game.
Now, we know that Jackson will be out for the rest of the season, and that the Pacers will have to mitigate yet another loss. For a team that is hoping to contend, it is a disappointing loss, and it means that Indiana will have to weather the storm even more after a 2-4 start. Jackson played 15 minutes, grabbing eight rebounds and scoring eight points before leaving the game against the Pelicans with an injury.
So far this season, Jackson was averaging seven points with 5.6 rebounds in 16.8 minutes played. By no means a star output, but Rick Carlisle relied on him as a rotational player behind Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam in the frontcourt. Now, he and James Wiseman have been lost for the season.
How can Pacers mitigate loss of Jackson?
With Jackson lost for the remainder of the season, the Pacers can file for a Disabled Player Exception of $2.2 million, which is 50% of the salary Jackson is owed, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. There is one open spot on the roster for Indiana, and the team is currently $2.5 million below the luxury tax.
As far as Jackson's future and the implications this injury has for him, he is scheduled to be a restricted free agent next summer. The Pacers will have to work out a deal with him, or let him walk.
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