Pacers Sign Cody Martin To Hardship Exception 10-Day Contract

The Indiana Pacers are reportedly signing free agent forward Cody Martin to a hardship exception, which is a 10-day contract, league sources told HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto on Wednesday.

Pacers Have Multiple Players Sidelined

A hardship exception allows a team to temporarily carry an extra player beyond the standard 15-man limit.

The provision is granted when a team has four players who have missed three consecutive games due to injuries and are expected to be sidelined for at least two more weeks.

If a team has five players who meet that criteria, a second hardship exception can be awarded.

Martin, 30, spent over four months on the open market after the Phoenix Suns waived him in late June. The former second-rounder will now join an Indiana squad that has been decimated by injuries.

Just In: The Indiana Pacers plan to sign Cody Martin to a deal, league sources told @hoopshype. Martin has averaged 6.2 points in six NBA seasons with the Charlotte Hornets and Phoenix Suns. Martin will be signed with a hardship exception. pic.twitter.com/90ZYFlTDGx

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) November 5, 2025

Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Pacers already have Jeremiah Robinson-Earl under contract via a hardship exception, but they would be able to retain Robinson-Earl while adding Martin if they’ve been granted a second exception.

Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles), Obi Toppin (foot), T.J. McConnell (hamstring), Bennedict Mathurin (foot), Kam Jones (back), and Andrew Nembhard (shoulder) have all been out for at least Indiana’s past three games.

Haliburton will miss the entire season and Toppin is expected to be out until February.

Hornets Drafted Cody Martin In 2019

In 259 career NBA regular-season games (54 starts) across six seasons, Martin has averaged 6.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 21.9 minutes per outing with the Charlotte Hornets and Suns.

Martin spent 5½ seasons with the Hornets from 2019-25 before being dealt to the Suns at February’s trade deadline along with Vasilije Micic in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic.

The 6-foot-5 wing was limited to just 35 total games over the course of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons due to injuries. He made somewhat of a comeback last season, making 53 appearances for Charlotte and Phoenix.

However, Martin averaged 6.8 points on just 41.8% shooting from the field and 28.5% from beyond the arc. While he did shoot a career-best 70.5% from the foul line, the Nevada product struggled to match his career averages for every other metric.

In Charlotte’s 138-133 win over the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 30, 2024, he recorded a career-high 25 points on 9-of-11 (81.8%) shooting from the floor and 4-of-6 (66.7%) from 3-point territory.

The Pacers continue their four-game homestand on Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets.