Pacers Notes: Ivica Zuba, Pascal Siakam, Kam Jones, lottery odds

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle provided additional details on the rib fracture that ended Ivica Zubac’s season.

Carlisle said Zubac suffered the injury in the first quarter of last Wednesday’s loss to Portland. The veteran center had trouble sleeping that night and underwent an MRI the following day, which revealed the fracture.

“If you’ve ever had rib stuff, it’s kind of the worst because breathing bothers it,” Carlisle said, via Tony East of Circle City Spin. “Coughing bothers it. Sneezing is impossible, and laughing, you just can’t do it.”

Zubac is expected to make a full recovery, though Carlisle acknowledged it’s a setback for a team that had hoped to see more of its core group together.

Siakam Soars

Pascal Siakam delivered a standout performance in his second game back from a knee sprain, finishing with 37 points and a game-sealing block as Indiana snapped a franchise-record 16-game losing streak with a win over Orlando, per Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star.

“Siakam was spectacular,” Carlisle said. “Thirty-three minutes, 37 points. The guy’s a great, great player.”

Despite the Pacers’ struggles this season, Siakam has remained productive, averaging 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 48.4 percent from the field.

Jones Update

Rookie guard Kam Jones will fall short of the 41-game threshold needed to fully guarantee his 2026-27 salary after receiving a DNP-CD on Monday, tweets Tony East of Circle City Spin.

Jones’ $2.15 million salary for next season is currently 50 percent guaranteed, with the remaining portion set to become guaranteed if he remains under contract through June 30.

With 13 players already under contract for next season and a potentially crowded roster, Jones’ long-term status with the team remains uncertain.

Lottery Talk

Despite Monday’s win, the Pacers aren’t in immediate danger of impacting their lottery position, as Dopirak notes.

At 16-56, Indiana still holds a three-game cushion over the fourth-worst Kings (19-53). That matters less for positioning at No. 1 and more for staying in the bottom three.

Each of the league’s three worst teams carries identical odds (52.1 percent) of landing a top-four pick. And for the Pacers, that’s the range that counts.

Indiana’s first-round pick is only retained if it falls within the top four. If it lands anywhere from No. 5-9, it conveys.

So while the losing streak may be over, the bigger picture hasn’t changed.

The Pacers don’t need to be the worst team. They just need to stay in that bottom tier.