Almost half of the Indiana Pacers on the opening-night roster have missed time due to injury. Are they eligible for an NBA hardship exception?

The Indiana Pacers are heading into tonight’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks severely shorthanded, with eight players listed as OUT — the most in the NBA.

Oct 26, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) moves the ball to the basket against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

According to Tim MacMahon's report, Cooper Flagg will play on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers but will be re-evaluated for his injury.

The OKC Thunder will face the Indiana Pacers on Thursday in a rematch of last season's NBA Finals. Both teams will be missing key players due to injuries, including OKC's Jalen Williams and Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton.

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Making matters worse is the fact that two of Indiana's key players for this year, Bennedict Mathurin and Obi Toppin, have both already gone down with injury, and on Tuesday, the team got an update on both players that wasn't exactly encouraging.