INDIANAPOLIS — Gabe McGlothan’s jersey number 41 has Biblical roots, and it speaks to the trial and tribulation that can come with waiting. It refers to the 40 days and 40 nights detailed in the Gospels when Jesus Christ fasted in the Desert of Judaea after he was baptized by John the Baptist, during which he was tempted three times by the devil.

McGlothan picked No. 41 because it represents what happens when you come out the other side of trials. He used to wear 30 in college, but that has been effectively retired by the Pacers for George McGinnis. For a 26-year-old that spent six years in college and is still waiting for his first NBA game, it felt symbolic.

“The 41 is just coming out of that wilderness to know God’s faithfulness and all that stuff,” McGlothan said. “It was a number I decided to change to. Obviously, 30 is up in the rafters so you can’t choose that. I was like, ‘You know what, 41, because it’s like, I’m going to just trust God’s plan and his purpose and his faithfulness and believing in his hope and reward. It’s 41 for me, continuing to just chase and go through the wilderness.”

So for McGlothan, Tuesday really felt like the day he emerged from the desert. He spent preseason camp with the Pacers on an Exhibit 10 contract, aware that he would eventually be waived and spend the beginning of this season with the Noblesville Boom. After 14 games with them, he’s getting a call up to the Pacers for a 10-day hardship exception contract, which should allow him to appear in an NBA game that counts for the first time.

“When you are through the thick of it — it may be the G or certain situations — you just keep your eyes up,” McGlothan said after practice Tuesday. “That’s what I continued to do. Now all the sudden, I’m blessed to stand here wearing 41 on what I call my 41st day.”

McGlothan became the fourth player the Pacers have signed to a 10-day hardship exception contract since the season started. To be granted a hardship exception — which allows teams to sign a player beyond the limit of 15 standard contracts and three two-way deals — a team must have at least four players who have missed three consecutive games who will also miss at least two more weeks of action. The Pacers have been able to show that on a continual basis since the season’s third game.

Up until this point, the Pacers have looked elsewhere to fill those positions. Most recently, they signed sharpshooting guard Garrison Mathews to two 10-day contracts, then converted him to a standard non-guaranteed contract. For the most part, they’ve been missing more than four players but now they’ve seen several return and their depth needs aren’t as great. That’s allowed them to stay internal with a player they won’t have to waive or let go when the 10 days are up, so it allows them to reward McGlothan for a productive start with the Boom.

“He’s earned it,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “As an organization, we like to promote from within whenever we can. This is a great opportunity for him and for us to get another guy depth wise that can help us both in games and in practices.”

McGlothan was a two-time All-Western Athletic Conference pick at Grand Canyon University, averaging 12.8 points and better than 7.0 rebounds per game in both his junior and senior seasons. After going undrafted in 2024, he spent a year with the Grand Rapids Gold, the Denver Nuggets G League affiliate before he was traded to the Pacers’ organization this offseason.

Under Carlisle, the Pacers haven’t typically kept players in training camp who they have expected to sign to the G League, but working with them in October gave McGlothan a head start.

“You can tell they made different tweaks and adjustments like teams do,” McGlothan said. “But being able to come in and feel the same flow, be a part of the same motion they’re going through and being able to fill in and fit. It’s been good and my teammates have picked me up and helped me get adjusted to the new things.”

The 6-9, 235-pound McGlothan has positional versatility. Per Carlisle, he can handle the small or power forward spots with the size to defend and rebound against players at either position. He can also shoot from outside which makes him a good fit for both spots. With the Boom, he’s averaging 16.9 points per game on 52.9% shooting including 33.9% from beyond the arc, hitting on 21 of 62 3-point attempts so far. He’s also averaging 7.7 rebounds per game.

“He’s a tough-minded, high basketball IQ who has put in the work and really earned this opportunity,” Carlisle said. “This is a culmination of a lot of years of hard work and different training camps and G League opportunities. I know he’s going to make the best of it.”

Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.