Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith is expected to remain sidelined for at least another week after suffering a right ankle sprain during Thursday’s loss to Washington, head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed, according to Tony East of Circle City Spin.
The injury forced him to play only 15 minutes in that game before being ruled out for the following night’s rematch against the Wizards.
Sunday’s matchup against Dallas will mark Nesmith’s second consecutive absence, and the team expects him to miss at least two additional games as he continues recovering from the sprain.
Indiana has taken a cautious approach given the number of injuries that have impacted the roster throughout the 2025/26 season.
The Pacers have dealt with significant health setbacks all year.
Forward Obi Toppin has not played since October after undergoing foot surgery, while second-year wing Johnny Furphy recently suffered a torn ACL in his right knee, ending his season prematurely.
In fact, durability has been rare across the roster, with only three players, Jay Huff, Jarace Walker, and Pascal Siakam, missing fewer than 10 games this season.
Siakam is expected to return Sunday after sitting out the team’s previous two contests.
Nesmith has already experienced injury interruptions earlier in the season, having missed 19 straight games between mid-November and late December due to a left knee sprain.
Despite those setbacks, the 26-year-old has been productive when available, averaging 13.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists across 33 appearances while playing 30.0 minutes per game.
He was also nominated for Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for games played from January 26 through February 1.
The Pacers will be without Aaron Nesmith for a while longer: https://t.co/gqIvSoOkvb
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) February 23, 2026
