Indiana Pacers forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (25) plays against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Monday, Dec. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
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INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers plan to waive forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and will use the roster spot to sign forward Garrison Mathews to a standard contract. Mathews was previously with the Pacers on a 10-day contract that expired after Wednesday.
Mathews originally joined the Pacers on November 20, and he debuted for the team the following day in Cleveland. Indiana was eligible to add Mathews to the roster due to long-term injuries to Kam Jones, Tyrese Haliburton, Obi Toppin, and Johnny Furphy – that allowed the team to be granted a hardship exception, which is a 10-day pact.
Mathews first 10-day deal with the Pacers was underwhelming. He shot 2/13 from the field, all on three-point shots, across five games and struggled to make an impact in other areas of the game. He averaged 1.8 points per game during that agreement. He only scored in one of the five games and received just four seconds of playing time during his third outing.
Yet as his contract expired, the Pacers still decided to bring him back for a second 10-day contract. Even with Mathews struggling, it was clear how he could impact the game – in a win vs the Chicago Bulls, for example, the veteran wing went 0/3 from the field but was still being guarded tightly on the perimeter. The Bulls didn’t want him to get free for open looks, and Indiana outscored Chicago in Mathews’ minutes that night.
Three days later, the Pacers brought back Mathews despite his numbers. The team was still eligible for a 10-day hardship deal thanks to injuries (this time using Aaron Nesmith’s absence instead of Furphy’s), so they could add Mathews on a short-term deal once again and continue to figure out the fit.
“I was a little surprised to be honest with you, because I did not play well the first 10 days,” Mathews said of being brought back. But the team had faith in his track record.
Why did the Pacers bring back Garrison Mathews?
“He’s an NBA player with an NBA skill. He has gravity. The stats will take care of themselves,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Mathews in between 10-day pacts. The Lipscomb product canned 41.4% of his threes across the prior two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, and the Pacers believed that would eventually happen with them.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 01: Garrison Mathews #24 of the Indiana Pacers takes a shot over Luke Travers #33 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on December 01, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
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The same night Mathews signed his second hardship deal with the team, Indiana’s belief in him paid off. He drilled three outside shots and scored 15 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers, logging over 25 minutes of action along the way. He added six free throws and chipped in other ways, too.
His emergence that night is another datapoint when it comes to the challenges players face when signing hardship contracts. Usually, a player on a 10-day deal would have little expectations about their performance. But players on hardship agreements are signed out of need, and thus production is called for right away. It’s difficult, as Mathews and others found out.
“It takes a minute to get back into it. I was fortunate to hit some shots tonight,” Mathews said after his first successful game. “I’m a shooter, so it takes a minute… it was a little frustrating to start out, I didn’t want to start out the way I did. But as long as I can stay consistent, stay confident, then I know I’ll be alright.”
He did stay confident and was far better on his second 10-day agreement. On that contract, Mathews played in four games and averaged 8.5 points per contest. He shot 50% from the field and 46.7% from long range while also chipping in on the boards on a few occasions. He played at least 14:56 in each outing.
The improved performance left the Pacers with a decision to make this week. Mathews was no longer eligible for a 10-day contract, so if the Pacers wanted to keep him they needed to open a roster spot. That’s exactly what they plan to do, and Robinson-Earl will be waived to open a slot for Mathews.
Robinson-Earl also battled through two 10-day hardship deals to earn his standard contract with the Pacers. So far this season, he’s played in 17 games and started three times, averaging 4.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. That rebounding number has popped in most of Robinson-Earl’s appearances.
But between Mathews emergence and the recent signing of Ethan Thompson, Robinson-Earl’s role vanished. He didn’t play in either of the Pacers last two outings and received just 3:12 of playing time, all coming after the result was decided, in the game before that. It was clear that the rotation had shifted in Mathews’ and Thompson’s favor.
As a result, Robinson-Earl will be waived. He signed a two-year, non-guaranteed minimum contract on November 21, so his waiver (should it come today) will carry a cap hit of about $506k.
The Pacers roster is now full once again. The team is getting healthier and may be approaching the end of their period of nearly-constant transactions done to simply keep up with their injury outlook. Mathews is a seven-year veteran and was the 21st player to suit up for the blue and gold this season.