Pacers' Kam Jones: Not close to returning

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said Sunday that Jones (lower back) is still a "ways out" from returning, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports.

The No. 38 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Jones has yet to make his professional debut and is without an official timetable to return as he continues to recover from a lower back stress reaction. Once he's cleared to resume on-court work, Jones -- who signed a standard NBA contract rather than a two-way deal -- could spend some time with the G League's Noblesville Boom as he ramps up.