Pacers’ Isaiah Jackson out for remainder of season with torn Achilles tendon

The Indiana Pacers already lost backup center James Wiseman for the season when he tore his Achilles tendon on opening night. Fourth-year big man Isaiah Jackson stepped into that role and has played well for Indiana, averaging 7 points and 5.6 rebounds a game this young season.

Now Jackson is lost for the season with a torn Achilles, the team announced.

This wasn’t a surprise when Jackson went down with a non-contact injury in the fourth quarter against the Pelicans Friday night. After the game, coach Rick Carlisle was subdued when talking about Jackson and saying he hoped it wasn’t the worst-case scenario. It was.

Indiana will have to dip into the free agent market or trade for another center to back up Myles Turner. In the short term, expect Obi Toppin to get some small ball run at the five, and they could throw rookie, two-way contract big man Enrique Freeman into the fire, but neither of those are good long-term options. The Pacers have an open roster spot and some flexibility, but they are going to have to find another big man to round out this roster in the coming weeks.