The Indiana Pacers have applied for the NBA’s disabled player exception (DPE), according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files.

It would allow them to add another player in the wake of guard Edmond Sumner undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a torn left Achilles.

If the Pacers are ultimately granted the DPE, they will be able to add a player for 50 percent of Sumner’s $2.32 million salary, which would be $1.16 million.

The DPE doesn’t give a team an extra roster spot, but it can be used to sign a free agent, claim a player off waivers or acquire a player via a trade.

Teams who don’t have much salary cap space or are over the salary cap tend to apply for the DPE.

The Pacers currently have two non-guaranteed contracts and are less than $800,000 under the luxury tax line of $136.6 million.

If they were to use the potential $1.16 million DPE, that would put them over the line which they would want to avoid.

Other than rookie minimum deals or minimum salary contracts, there aren’t many other salaries that would fit into the small DPE.

Even if the Pacers end up not using the DPE, they won’t be penalized for not using it.