The Pacers didn’t wait around to find Tyrese Haliburton the help he needed. Indiana already put the pieces in place, and that’s why the team looks so far along compared with other contenders still trying to sort out their own star pairings.
Pascal Siakam is already there as Haliburton’s co-star, and the Pacers have layered in the kind of depth that gives a roster real staying power. Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, TJ McConnell, Obi Toppin, and Jay Huff are all part of that mix, giving Indiana the kind of support that matters when the games tighten up.
That stands in contrast to what’s happening elsewhere. The Minnesota Timberwolves just made a major move to bring in LaMelo Ball as Anthony Edwards’ co-star, paying a steep price in draft capital and Naz Reid to get it done. The Golden State Warriors are also still chasing their own answer next to Stephen Curry, with Jimmy Butler hurt and the team now seemingly heading toward a plan that would bring in LeBron James and Anthony Davis next season.
Both of those teams still need more than star power, too. Minnesota is re-signing Ayo Dosunmu and already has Jaden McDaniels, while Donte DiVincenzo is hurt. Golden State has brought back Al Horford and still has Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Quinten Post, Gui Santos, and others on the bench.
Indiana, though, is already past that stage. The Pacers have a co-star for Haliburton, plus the depth around him. They even made it to Game 7 of the NBA Finals with this setup.
The message is simple: the Pacers have already done the hard part. Now they just need to get healthy.
In Other News...
Pacers Just Sent A Clear Message About Two Fringe Roster Spots
Micah Potters brief run in Indiana was enough to give the Pacers a clearer read on one of their end-of-bench decisions. After joining the team in December 2025 and helping fill in during a stretch when center depth was thin, the stretch big gave Indiana a usable floor-spacer on a low-cost deal. Now the front office is signaling it wants to keep that option alive, while preserving flexibility as it sorts out the rest of the roster.
Jalen Slawson is in a similar holding pattern, only with a different kind of value. The Pacers extended him a two-way qualifying offer, which makes him a restricted free agent and keeps the door open on a player they saw real defensive potential from last season. Indiana has clearly identified both players as pieces worth retaining in some form, but the next step will determine just how secure those fringe spots really are. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Linked To Veteran Wing Who Could Change Their Bench Scoring
As the Pacers get ready for free agency, one wing target has surfaced as a potential fit for a team looking to add more pop behind its starters. Kelly Oubre Jr., coming off a productive run with Philadelphia, has drawn interest from Indiana, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, and he would bring the kind of scoring presence that can change the look of a second unit.
The challenge is the usual one for a team that wants more talent without upsetting the books. Indiana would need to clear salary-cap space to make a move, and that part of the equation may end up mattering just as much as the player himself. Oubres recent production shows why hes on the radar, but whether the Pacers can actually make the numbers work is the question hanging over the idea. [Read more 🡒]