Indiana’s rough opening has already pushed the Pacers toward the trade market.
At 4-8, the 2026-27 season has started slowly for a team that expected more, and injuries have been a big reason why. The biggest absence is Tyrese Haliburton, who remains sidelined with a hamstring injury and has missed multiple games. Without him, Indiana has struggled to find any rhythm or consistency.
That uncertainty has apparently gotten the front office moving. NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Pacers have already looked into some “mid-tier” ways to upgrade the roster.
The urgency makes sense after last season’s collapse, when Indiana won just 19 games and missed the playoffs completely. Haliburton was out for the full year, and the Pacers were left with a thin path to meaningful improvement. This season was supposed to be different, with Haliburton back and the team aiming to get back into the playoff mix and chase a title.
But the roster still needs help. Indiana can’t expect Haliburton to carry everything once he returns, and it certainly can’t lean on him while he’s injured. The Pacers need another backcourt presence who can handle the offense and create cleaner looks for everyone else.
There’s also work to do in the frontcourt. Center Ivica Zubac hasn’t quite met expectations, even if his play has improved over the last few games. Depth there is still a need, and Indiana may have to address it if it wants to stabilize the rotation.
The good news for the Pacers is that they have more options now than they did a year ago. The bad news is that the clock is already ticking. With other Eastern Conference teams stacking wins, Indiana can’t afford to drift much longer if it wants to stay in the race.
In Other News...
Pacers Fans Just Got A Tough Reminder About A Recent Favorite
Doug McDermotts NBA run is over, and for Pacers fans, it brings back a familiar face from a player who seemed to keep finding his way back to Indiana. The sharpshooter, who entered the league as a first-round pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, spent 12 seasons bouncing around the league and carved out a career with the Pacers, Bulls, Thunder, Knicks, Spurs and Kings.
What makes McDermotts retirement hit a little harder in Indiana is how often he reappeared in blue and gold across multiple stints. He finished his career with Sacramento, but for Pacers followers, hell be remembered as one of those useful, reliable veterans who fit into the rotation and always seemed to remain part of the conversation, even as his career kept moving from stop to stop. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers May Have Finally Found Their Formula Without Haliburton
The Pacers finally put together a cleaner night in a 114-101 win over the Wizards, and it came at a time when they badly needed something to hang onto. With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined until at least Thanksgiving, Indiana has been searching for a way to steady itself after a 4-8 start, and this was one of the more encouraging signs that the group can survive for a while without its star point guard.
What stood out was the kind of work that does not always show up first in the box score, especially on the glass and in the collective effort department. If Indiana is going to keep from slipping further in the standings while Haliburton is out, it will need more nights like this one, where the pace is manageable, the rebounding is there and the load is shared a little more evenly across the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Face A Tough Knicks Test With Little Margin For Error
The NBA Cup has already put the Pacers in a tricky spot, and now they get another tough assignment with little room to breathe. Indiana and New York both come in winless in group play, which only raises the stakes for a matchup that already looks difficult on paper, especially with the Pacers set to be without Tyrese Haliburton.
New York has been playing well enough to enter as the favorite, and the individual battles should tell plenty of the story. Karl-Anthony Towns and Ivica Zubac stand out as one of the frontcourt matchups to watch, while Andrew Nembhards defensive work against Jalen Brunson could go a long way toward deciding whether Indiana can keep this one close. [Read more 🡒]