INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin will undergo surgery to repair a partial stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, the team announced Friday.
"Probably not recommend talking about this again until probably Feb. 1, [in] three months," coach Rick Carlisle said before the Pacers' 128-108 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. "That's his situation."
According to Carlisle, Toppin will have surgery Monday in New York to place a screw in his foot.
Toppin was limited to 17 minutes during last Sunday's loss at Minnesota before exiting. He averaged 14.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in the first three games before sitting out a 107-105 loss to Dallas on Wednesday.
The No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 draft has played at least 62 games in each of his first five seasons. The first three seasons were with the New York Knicks before an offseason trade in 2023.
The Pacers have been decimated by injuries. Entering the season, Indiana was already prepared to be without point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who tore his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and backup T.J. McConnell, who was expected to miss the first month because of a left hamstring strain.
But now Bennedict Mathurin is week-to-week with a right big toe sprain, and fellow starting guard Andrew Nembhard has a left shoulder strain. Also out against Atlanta on Friday were reserves Johnny Furphy (left foot bone bruise) and Kam Jones (lower back stress reaction).
The Pacers on Saturday signed forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl via a 10-day hardship exception. Robinson-Earl has played in four NBA seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 6.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.
