**Indiana Pacers Re-Sign Forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to Second 10-Day Contract**
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers have re-signed forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to another 10-day contract, the team announced on Tuesday. This marks Robinson-Earl’s second 10-day agreement with Indiana this season.
The Pacers were granted a hardship exception, which allowed them to offer Robinson-Earl the additional 10-day deal. The team continues to battle numerous injuries, leading to another hardship exemption and enabling them to keep Robinson-Earl around a little longer.
Currently, the Pacers are without several key players due to injury: Tyrese Haliburton, Johnny Furphy, Obi Toppin, Quenton Jackson (two-way), Bennedict Mathurin, and Kam Jones. Additionally, T.J. McConnell has not played yet this season but is expected to return tonight.
The number of injuries on the roster is what permits the Pacers to apply for a hardship exception. Two-way players do not count toward hardship exemptions, but if four players have missed three or more games in a row and will continue to be out, a hardship exemption can be granted to a team with a full 15-man roster.
Furphy’s third missed game since suffering an ankle injury was on Sunday, the team’s most recent game. That timing played a key role in allowing the Pacers to retain Robinson-Earl for 10 more days, although the team certainly misses Furphy for both skill and developmental reasons.
### Why Did the Pacers Retain Jeremiah Robinson-Earl?
Robinson-Earl has filled in capably during his time with the team. So far, he is averaging 5.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for the Pacers, including two double-digit rebound games. His defense has also been valuable, as the Pacers continue to lose healthy players at the power forward and wing positions.
“We have a system, we have schemes, concepts, things that we want to do. But at the end of the day, it’s basketball,” Robinson-Earl said about fitting in with the team and picking things up quickly. “We have to compete at the highest level. Being in these situations, you can’t make excuses. You’ve just got to learn on the fly and do the best you can with the circumstances.”
He has played 17.4 minutes per game, a significant number for a player who wasn’t even on the roster for opening night. The Pacers have needed him, and outside of hitting shots, he has produced solid results.
Like the rest of the team, Robinson-Earl has struggled with shooting accuracy, hitting just 32.3% of his field goal attempts so far. However, his work on the boards, low turnover numbers, and overall basketball IQ remain valuable assets.
Robinson-Earl has performed well enough that the Pacers are opting to start him later tonight in their game against the Utah Jazz on the road.
“Definitely a tough situation we’re in with the circumstances of personnel and everything,” Robinson-Earl remarked last week regarding the Pacers’ current roster situation. “We’ve got a bunch of new guys here just trying to figure out the system.”
### Contract Details and Team Moves
Robinson-Earl’s cap hit on his new 10-day deal will be just under $132,000. Across both of his contracts this season, he will receive nearly $264,000.
The Pacers have made several roster moves to manage their injury situation, including signing Martin, waiving James Wiseman to sign Mac McClung, and then waiving McClung to sign Monte Morris. They are currently about $5 million shy of the luxury tax line.
Robinson-Earl is in his fifth NBA season and has career averages of 6.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He has appeared in five games for the Pacers so far this season.
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