Pacers Star Provides Surprise Update on Achilles Recovery Timeline

A key Indiana Pacers standout has revealed how he's progressing from his Achilles tendon tear.

Indiana was bit hard by the injury bug last season, at inconvenient times.

Pacers big men Isaiah Jackson Jr. and James Wiseman ruptured their Achilles just a few games into the year — although it gave the team enough time to find replacements for them heading into the playoffs, bringing in Tony Bradley for rim protection and Thomas Bryant for shooting.

But the most devastating Achilles tear afflicted two-time All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who ruptured his during a Game 7 loss in the NBA Finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The 6-foot-5 Iowa State product has already been ruled out for the balance of the forthcoming 2025-26 season — but Jackson and Wiseman, who were re-signed this summer, should both be back sooner than that.

Jackson, in particular, revealed how far along he has come in his recovery from his own Achilles injury thus far, writes Tony East of Forbes.

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“It’s going along real well. I think I’m probably like 80 to 90 percent to being back," Jackson revealed a few weeks ago. "I should be back by training camp. That’s the plan. That’s what we’re on the trajectory of right now. So [I’m] just looking forward to being back with these guys and playing again.”

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Jackson inked a front-loaded three-season, $21 million deal to stay with the Pacers this summer.

Selected with the No. 22 pick in 2021, Jackson averaged 7.2 points, 4.3 boards, and 1.3 rejections across 15.0 minutes in his 163 contests with Indiana as a pro. Wiseman had moved ahead of Jackson in head coach Rick Carlisle's rotation prior to their injuries, but Jackson's bigger contract appears to be a vote of confidence in Jackson.

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